Red Meat Sector losing out
15 November 2007
Ulster MEP Jim Allister has said the Assembly could do much more to promote Northern Ireland food, while still remaining within the confines of EU legislation.
Mr Allister said,
“Country of origin labelling of beef served in catering establishments is one initiative that has yet to be introduced in Northern Ireland.
We have an Agricultural Minister who is fanatical about aligning Northern Ireland’s agricultural industry with the Republic of Ireland in so many ways. Yet, the Irish Government has already availed of a European provision to require caterers to provide country of origin labelling on beef, while DARD has failed to ensure a similar requirement is put in place in Northern Ireland.”
“Food experts are saying that food provenance is increasingly important to Northern Ireland’s consumers. How is it, then, that DARD and the Food Standards Agency have failed to ensure consumers can avail of country of origin information of the food they eat in restaurants, canteens and other catering establishments?”
Therefore, I have raised these matters with the European Commission in a written question, as follows:
"What are the present arrangements for securing country of origin labelling of meat in the food service and catering sectors and in this regard has the Department of Agriculture & Rural Development from Northern Ireland, or the Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs in London, made any applications in respect of Northern Ireland produce. If so, with what result? If not, are there any barriers to such applications? Moreover, has such approval issued in respect of produce from the Republic of Ireland and, if so, when and on what basis?"
ENDS
