Draft Commission Regulation amending regulation 1825/2000 laying down detailed rules for the application of regulation 1760/2000 of the EP and the Council as regards the labelling of beef and beef products
Article 1
Regulation 1825/2000 is amended as follows:
1) The following article is inserted after article 1:
Article 1 bis
Definitions
For the purpose of this regulation, the following definitions apply:
a) “minced meat”: beefmeat minced into fragments or passed through a spiral-screw mincer, or any mix of beefmeat and meat of other species minced together where the proportion of beefmeat exceeds 50% by weight of the mix;
b) “trimmings”: small pieces of meat suitable for human consumption resulting solely from trimming processes and which are obtained from whole muscles at carcase deboning and/or meat cutting
c) “cut meat”: meat destined for the consumer cut into small cubes, slices or other individual portions of the same type, excluding minced meat and trimmings
d) “prepacked cut meat”: cut meat destined for the consumer packaged in consumer retail packs
e) “non prepacked cut meat”: non prepacked cut meat destined for the end-consumer displayed for sale at retail outlets and by extension, in these outlets, every non prepacked piece of meat displayed for sale and intended to produce cut meat at the request of the final consumer
f) batch: all meat, for example carcases or quarters or deboned pieces of meat, cut, minced or packed together and in practically identical circumstances.
2) Article 4 is replaced by the following text:
Article 4
Size and composition of a group
1. The size of the group referred to in article 13, paragraph 1, second sentence of Reg. 1760/2000 is defined:
a) during the cutting of carcases or quarters, by the number of carcases or quarters constituting a batch for the cutting plant concerned
b) during further cutting operations or mincing, by the number of carcases or quarters from which the meat constitutes a batch for the cutting plant or mincing plant concerned.
The size of the group may in no case exceed one day’s production.
2. At the moment of constituting the batches referred to in paragraph 1, operators shall ensure that:
a) during cutting of carcases or quarters, all the carcases or quarters of the batch come from animals born in the same country, reared in the same country or countries, slaughtered in the same country and in the same abattoir;
b) during further cutting, the condition laid down in point a) is met for all the carcases from which the meats in the batch are taken and that all these carcases have been cut in the same cutting plant;
c) during mincing, the meats in the batch come from animals slaughtered in the same country.
3. As a derogation to the rules on a single abattoir and single cutting plant for carcases referred to in paragraph 2 point b), during the production of cut meat, operators are authorised to make up batches from meat originating from animals slaughtered in a maximum of two different abattoirs and from carcases cut in a maximum of two cutting plants.
4. As a derogation to paragraph 2 point b), during the production of beef head meat and trimmings, operators are only required to respect the rule relating to a single country of slaughter when making up batches.
3) Paragraph 1 in article 5 is repealed.
4) The following articles are inserted after article 5:
Article 5 bis
Trimmings
1. As a derogation to article 13, paragraph 2, points b) and c), and paragraph 5, point a)i and a)ii) of regulation 1760/2000, operators or organisations will list the following information on the labels of trimmings:
a) the name of the country of slaughter of the animals from which the trimmings originate; the information must appear as follows: “Place of slaughter: (name of MS or third country of slaughter)”;
b) the name of the country of production of the trimmings and the approval number of the plant in which they were produced; the information must appear as follows: “Place of production: (name of MS or third country of production and plant approval number)”;
c) the names of the countries of birth and rearing of the animals in the group; the information must appear in the form: “Country of birth and rearing: (list of the names of the countries in which the animals were born and reared)”.
2. As a derogation to paragraph 1, points a) and c), when the country of birth, the country of rearing and the country of slaughter is the same for all animals in the group, operators are authorised to use the indication “Origin” followed by the name of the MS or the third country in which birth, rearing and slaughter took place.
Article 5 ter
Prepacked cut meat
As a derogation to article 13, paragraph 2, points b) and c) of regulation 1760/2000, an operator or organisation which makes use of the possibility provided in article 4, paragraph 3 of this regulation will list the following information on the labels of prepacked cut meat, which supplement the information listed in article 13, paragraph 5 point a) of regulation 1760/2000:
a) the name of the country of slaughter of the animals, followed by the slaughterhouse approval number or where required the approval numbers of the two slaughterhouses in which the animals of the group were slaughtered; the information must appear as follows: “Place of slaughter of the animals in the group: (name of MS or third country of slaughter) (approval number(s) of the slaughterhouse or two slaughterhouses concerned)”;
b) the name of the country of carcase cutting, followed by the approval number of the cutting plant or where required the approval numbers of the two cutting plants in which the carcases were cut; the information must appear as follows: “Place of cutting of the meat in the batch: (name of MS or third country of cutting) (approval number(s) of the cutting plant or two cutting plants concerned)”.
Article 5 quater
Non prepacked cut meat
1. When displaying for sale non prepacked cut meat at a retail site, an operator or organisation must ensure that the rule on batch composition laid down in article 4 paragraph 3 is respected for all the cut meat displayed simultaneously for sale.
2. As a derogation to article 13, paragraph 2, points b) and c) of regulation 1760/2000, an operator or organisation will label non prepacked cut meat displayed for sale in accordance with paragraph 1, by indicating the name of the country of birth, rearing and slaughter of the animals from which the meat originates, followed by the name of the country(ies) of carcase cutting.
Meats from animals for which the country of birth and/or rearing and/or slaughter is different are to be clearly separated from each other, including during display for sale. The information displayed in the shop is to be placed near these meats so as to enable the end consumer to distinguish easily between meat of different origins.
The operator will each day record the numbers of the slaughterhouses of the animals and of the cutting plants of the carcases for non prepacked cut meats displayed together for sale by reference to the day’s date. He will communicate this information to any consumer who asks for it.
3. As a derogation to article 4, paragraph 1, second sentence, and providing that the requirements laid down in paragraph 2 are respected, non prepacked cut meats displayed together for sale at a retail outlet may, with a view to sale on request, be cut on different days.
Article 5 quinquies
Bovine headmeat
1. As a derogation to article 13, paragraph 2, points b) and c) and paragraph 5, point a)i) and a)ii of regulation 1760/2000, operators or organisations will list the following information on the label of bovine headmeat:
a) the name of the country of slaughter of the animals from which the meat was obtained; the information must appear as follows: “Place of slaughter: (name of MS or third country of slaughter)”;
b) the name of the country in which the meat was obtained from bovine heads, followed by the approval number of the cutting plant in which this activity was carried out; the information must appear as follows: “Place of production: (name of MS or third country of cutting) (approval number of the plant concerned);
c) the names of the countries of birth and rearing of each of the animals from which meat was obtained; the information must appear as follows: “Country of birth and rearing: (list of countries in which the animals were born and reared)”;
2. As a derogation to paragraph 1, points a) and c), when the country of birth, the country of rearing and the country of slaughter is the same for all the animals in the group, operators are authorised to use the indication “Origin” followed by the name of the MS or the third country in which the animals were born, reared and slaughtered”.
Article 2
This regulation will enter into force on the ….day following publication in the Official Journal of the European Union.
This regulation is obligatory in all its elements and is directly applicable in each MS.