Beef labeling

INTRODUCTION:

Between the ‘80s and ‘90s  the livestock sector was in crunch because consumers  lost  trust due to the“Mad cow” alarm. The EU,  born as EEC, had been involved to fill that legislative gap and for the benefit of the  consumers. Today beef meat is the kind of meat with more information available to consumer. A legislative process that lasted two decades and that is still being improved.

What and How these information must be reported  is written in Reg. (CE) n. 1760/00, which establishes  a system for the identification and registration of bovine animals and  detailed rules for the application of Reg. (CE) n. 1825/00.

Today there are other livestock sectors, such as pig farming, that complain about this legislative gap which sprang up with the alarm of the  “dioxin pig”.

A distinction must be made among needs of consumers, producers and industry. What is happening in Italy can well explain the different points of view.

With Rule n.4 of 3 February 2011 Italy has tried to impose new rules about food labels, regulation required  by  the  consumers  and consortia of producers. One of the various issues addressed was the obligation to write product origins, included pork . This legislation touched interests of many factories, it complicated their work in our country and it made trade relations with foreign country more difficult. European commissioner for health and consumer policy, Jhon Dalli and for Agriculture, Dacian Ciolos have rejected Italian low about food labelling, they considered inappropriate the low and they asked to wait for adoption of a communitarian regulation. Although this law has good intentions, Italy will face fines.  However Italy is not the only country that has tried to set rules about this topic, Ireland too. Which was object of a UE decision about poultry, swine and sheep meat labelling.

REGULATIONS

Today in EU it is compulsory the Community beef labelling system

The compulsory labelling system will ensure a link between, on the one hand  the identification of the carcass, quarter or pieces of meat and, on the other hand the individual animal or the group of animals concerned.

The label will contain the following indications:

a) a reference number or reference code ensuring the link between the meat and the animal or animals. This number may be the identification number of the individual animal from which the beef was derived or the identification number relating to a group of animals;

b) the approval number of the slaughterhouse where the animal or group of animals was slaughtered and the Member State or third where the slaughterhouse is established. The indication will read: "Slaughtered in (name of the Member State or third country) (approval number)";

c) the approval number of the cutting hall which performed the cutting operation on the carcass or group of carcases and the Member State or third country where the hall is established. The indication will  read: "Cutting in: (name of the Member State or third country) (approval number)".

Operators and organisations shall also indicate on the labels:

(i) Member State or third country of birth;

(ii) all Member States or third countries where fattening took place;

(iii) Member State or third country where slaughter took place;

 However, whereas the beef is derived from animals born, raised and slaughtered:

(i) in the same Member State, the indication may be given as "Origin: (name of Member State)";

(ii) in the same third country, the indication may be given as "Origin: (name of third country)".

 Derogations from the compulsory labelling system

Operator or organisation preparing minced beef shall indicate on the label the words "prepared (name of the Member State or third country)", depending on where the meat was prepared, and "origin" where the State or States involved are not the State of preparation.

Beef imported into the Community for which not all the information provided is available, shall be labelled with the indication: "Origin: non-EC" and "Slaughtered in: (name of third country)".

Voluntary labelling system

For labels containing indications other than those provided for in Section I of this title, each operator or organisation shall send a specification for approval to the competent authority of the Member State in which production or sale of the beef in question takes place. The competent authority may also establish specifications to be used in the Member State concerned, provided that use thereof is not compulsory.

Voluntary labelling specifications shall indicate:

- the information to be included on the label,

- the measures to be taken to ensure the accuracy of the information,

- the control system which will be applied to  all stages of production and sale, including the controls to be carried out by an independent body recognised by the competent authority and designated by the operator or the organisation. These bodies shall comply with the criteria set out in European Standard EN/45011.

The most recent EU regulation of 15 March 2007 n. 275 has brought important changes at Reg. 1760/00 and 1825/00 about traceability and beef labelling of cut meat and trimmings. Which will be labelled in the same way as 2000 for minced beef.

The application of regulation 1760/00 has pointed out many practical problems encountered by operators, especially from retailers of beef, who  should continuously update the label each time to supply the counter sale, operation which happens continuously by the day.

Other problem is that usually retailers contact a small numbers of big suppliers because they do not want meet difficulties in meat labelling. This is a clear threat to small slaughterhouses and cutting plants business.

Il black pudding

Il Sanguinaccio nell’UK (the black pudding)

Pietanza prelibata, legata a una tradizione che si perde nel tempo, prima che il mondo imponesse consumi forzati, quando si macellava un animale per tutto il paese e di quell’animale non si buttava niente.

Oggi meno consumato, forse perché il suo ingrediente principale, cioè il sangue è associato all’idea di malattia o forse perché se si pensa quali animali in natura si nutrono di sangue vengono in mente zanzare, vampiri e sanguisughe.

Di fatto il Sanguinaccio non è popolare tra le nuove generazioni, poiché queste non hanno conosciuto la fame e la guerra anzi si fanno convincere a mangiare una formaggio spalmabile dalla giovane Kelli Hu (Kaory), che di sicuro si sa solo che è salubre e spalmabile.

Per chi oggi ha un po’ di spirito di avventura enogastronomico o perché è ancora legato alla tradizione il sanguinaccio rimane un evergreen dei piatti.

In Italia ne abbiamo tante varianti, come ogni nostro piatto tutte le sue varianti sono legate alla tradizione delle regioni e dei paesi. Dal Sangelli siciliano sino al Boudin valdostano prende i nomi e le forme più diverse, in Lombardia lo chiamano Marzapane(come il dolce di mandorla del sud Italia) e lo insaccano con pane e spezie.

Nel resto del mondo non sono da meno, c’è una variabilità incredibile, usano dal sangue di bovino a quello d’oca, viene insaccato o preparato con spezie e ingredienti sempre diversi. In Sud America, Africa per non parlare dell’ Asia, è sempre presente e legato a culture povere dove si fa di necessità virtù.

In UK il Black pudding è amatissimo, può addirittura essere mangiato nella tradizionale colazione all’inglese. Anche qui è un insaccato di sangue di maiale, ma viene riempito con farina d’avena e insaporito con cipolle o menta. Può essere mangiato crudo, alla brace, fritto, o bollito.

The “Sanguinaccio” in UK (the black pudding)

It is a choice dish which is linked  to tradition that has been  lost in the past, before the world has imposed extreme consumerism, when they used to slaughter an animal for the benefit of the whole village and nothing was thrown out of it.

Today its consume has diminished, due either to its  main ingredient, blood, which is associated with idea of disease,  or to the idea  of such animals feeding themselves  on blood, like  mosquitoes, vampires and leeches.

It is a fact that black pudding  is not popular into new-generations as they have  not suffered  starvation or  war and are used to be persuaded by the young Kelli Hu to try the soft  spread cheese on a slice of bread.

To those with  gourmet adventure spirit or who  are linked to  traditions, the “sanguinaccio” is an evergreen temptation.

In Italy we have different kinds of black pudding and they all are linked to local traditions and regional dishes.  From Sicilian “Sangelli” to Valdostano “Boudin” it takes  different forms and names. In Lombardia it is called “Marzapane” (like the Sicilian cakes with almonds) and it is bagged with bread and spices.

In the rest of the world there is  an incredible variety of puddings which  use from  bovine blood to that of duck. It is always  bagged with different spices and ingredients. In Africa, South America, and not least in Asia, it is  always linked to poor cultures where  necessity becomes virtue.

In UK the black pudding is really appreciated, it can even be eaten at traditional English breakfast too. It is a pork blood bagged but it is worked  with oatmeal and  flavoured with onion and pennyroyal (a kind of mint). It can be eaten raw, grilled, fried or boiled.

Full of  expectations  I was going to buy it! First  a quick research on internet to check where I could go, I decided for  Waitrose. There were more attractive alternatives because in London there are more than one  butcher and delicatessen which  brag about their black pudding quality. Anyhow,  after considering  my  schedule  I was going to Waitrose which among all the British food stores  has surely the highest quality but, believe me,  there you will pay all of its quality .