Stringent packaging and traceability requirements are to be introduced for fresh and frozen meat products. The new EU Regulations will apply from April 2015 to all sheep, pig, goat, and poultry products which are produced, supplied or sold in the EU.
Businesses operating at each stage of the supply chain must put in place procedures to allow meat to be traced to its origin. These procedures include identifying where the animal was born, reared and slaughtered, with each batch of slaughtered meat being further identified and recorded as it passes through the supply chain.
Information on the origin of the meat must be clearly displayed on the label and suppliers will only be able to use the term "origin" on labels if they can demonstrate that the animal was born, reared and slaughtered in the same country. Otherwise, the label must state the country where the animal was reared and the country where it was slaughtered.
Transparency in the supply chain of such products has been hotly debated over the past months in the wake of the meat scandals. As the regulatory requirements become more rigorous, businesses should consider whether they need to make changes to their own labels and other procedures to ensure they will be compliant with the law.
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