Cautious welcome for fresh meat country-of-origin labelling

While the Scottish rural affairs secretary and NFU Scotland welcomed the decision of MEPs to press ahead with the country-of-origin labelling on fresh meat products, both regretted that the same requirements also had not been linked to milk and milk products, such as butter and cheese.

Richard Lochhead said the country of origin labelling would give Scottish consumers the information they would need to make an informed choice when they bought beef, lamb, poultry and pigmeat. “However, I am disappointed that some items such as milk and milk products have not been included in the package.”

For the Scottish union, the MEPs' decision was a victory after seven years of campaigning. President Nigel Miller said it was an important step in lobbying efforts aimed at ensuring customers knew where their food came from.

However, the decision will not come into effect until 2015 with first of all a sign-off in Europe by the ministers of the member states within four months.

For processed meat products the time line is much longer, with two years of feasibility studies. For milk and milk products, up to three years will be required.

Alyn Smith, MEP, gave a cautious welcome to the move, but was concerned that some recommendations had been kicked into the long grass. As a result, labelling would neither be as robust or as visible as he would have liked