EU beef will have to show its origins

Consumers of beef produced in the EU will receive details of the country of origin of the product and the plant where it was processed under new regulations.

In response to the European Commission move, An Bord Bia chief executive Mr Michael Duffy said the Irish beef industry would have to turn the regulations to its advantage. The regulations stipulate that all beef sold in supermarkets or butcher outlets in members states must be labelled with its country of origin.

"An Irish beef label will make our product more visible and increase awareness," Mr Duffy said. "To ensure success, it must be accompanied by vigorous promotional activity, in partnership with producers and processors to ensure the Irish label is synonymous with beef of the highest quality and flavour."

He said Ireland's green image and natural production system provided the platform, but producers "must deliver on this promise".

The implementation of the regulations is not expected to come into force until the end of the year and the final implementation until 2002.

Stage one requires that all shop-bought beef be marked with a reference code establishing a connection between the meat and the animal(s); country of slaughter and approval number for the slaughterhouse and the country of cutting and approval number of the cutting plant. Stage two, which will come into effect from the January 1st, 2002, will require labels showing the country of birth of the animal and its country of fattening.

Ireland is the largest net exporter of beef in the northern hemisphere with exports worth £1 billion per annum.