An article published today on GlobalMeatNews.com said that, accordingly to some voices from Brussels, the EU Commission, which has to release a recommendation on this subject before 13th December 2013, following the provisions of the Food Information to Consumers Regulation (1169/2011), intends to adopt as mandatory only the indication of the country where a source animal is finished and slaughtered.
The report is still to be finalized, so what is said above could change in the final version; anyway, it seems to me an interesting insight, and also quite a realistic option.
A full country of origin labeling could burden the sector with high cost, in an historical period in which the costs are high and the consumption of meat is decreasing in more than one market, both for economical and diet choices.
Another argument to sustain this solution is that Commissioner Borg, in several speeches about this topic, has stressed that a full origin labeling is not a useful instruments to prevent fraud like the “horsemeat scandal” and so it not seem so necessary.
The final report could be published at the end of October 2013. We are eager to read the final decision and its rationale.
