Labelling requirements for beef and veal in the UK
Introduction
This article explains changes made in January 2009, to the way beef and veal is labelled and sold in the UK. The article will be useful reading for farmers and other involved in the production, slaughter, trade, import, wholesale or retail sale of bovine animals and of their meat.
Labelling requirements
From 19th January 2009 the Beef and Veal Labelling Regulations 2008 provide that if you sell beef or veal that does not comply with new compulsory requirements set out below, you could be required to remove such meat from the market until it is correctly labelled.
As of 1 July 2008, UK operators must, at the time of slaughter of bovine animals aged 12 months or less, classify and label the meat, including offal, according to one of two sub-categories. The new mark identifies the age of the animal and thus the permitted sales description of its meat as follows:
Category "V" for meat from animals aged eight months or less which must be called "veal"
Category "Z" for meat from animals aged over eight months but not more than 12 months which must be called "beef".
The law therefore prohibits the use of the term "veal" to describe meat from older calves slaughtered at between 8-12 months.
The voluntary Beef Labelling Scheme still allows additional information to be added to the label.
Food operators: must label the meat at each stage of production and marketing with the age of the animal at slaughter and the sales description "veal" or "beef".
Importers of beef or veal from third countries: (outside the European Union) must market and label the meat according to the two new sales description categories.
Retailers: must label the meat with the age of the animal at slaughter and the sales description "veal" or "beef".
All operators must keep records to allow traceability of both categories. Records must be provided to the enforcement authority upon request.
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