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Summaries of EU Legislation

Labelling of beef and veal

Date of last review:
23/09/2022
Author:
Publications Office of the European Union
Responsible entity(ies):
Directorate-General for Agriculture and Rural Development
Summarised document(s):
Summary code:
  • 09.05.01.00 Food labelling & organic products
  • 30.10.03.01 Food labelling legislation
  • 30.11.06.01 Cattle
EUROVOC descriptor:
Directory code:

Labelling of beef and veal

 

SUMMARY OF:

Regulation (EC) No 1760/2000 – EU system for the labelling of beef and beef products

WHAT IS THE AIM OF THE REGULATION?

  • It sets out European Union (EU) rules on the labelling of beef and beef products.
  • The rules, which include compulsory labelling, are designed to make it possible to trace beef and veal throughout the whole food chain.

KEY POINTS

  • Labels on all beef and veal on sale in the EU must contain the following information: a reference code making it possible to identify its origin, details of where the animal was slaughtered (approval number of the slaughterhouse) and butchered (approval number of the cutting hall which performed the cutting operation on the carcass or group of carcasses).
  • Since 1 January 2002, the labels must also state the animal’s Member State or non-EU country of birth, fattening and slaughtering.
  • The labels may contain additional voluntary information about the meat being sold. The information must be comprehensible for consumers and comply with legislation on food labelling, in particular Regulation (EU) No 1169/2011 (see summary).
  • Member States must ensure compliance with this regulation on their territory. Any penalties that they impose on an operator or organisation marketing beef must be effective, dissuasive and proportionate. Where operators and organisations marketing beef have labelled beef without complying with their obligations, Member States may, in accordance with the principle of proportionality, require the removal of the beef from the market.
  • Experts from the European Commission, in conjunction with the relevant authorities, have powers to:
    • verify that Member States comply with the requirements of the regulation;
    • make on-the-spot checks to ensure that the checks are carried out in accordance with the regulation.

FROM WHEN DOES THE REGULATION APPLY?

It has applied since 14 August 2000.

BACKGROUND

Rules on the identification and registration of bovine animals were previously covered under this regulation. They are now covered by Regulation (EU) 2016/429 (the EU’s ‘Animal Health Law’ – see summary) and Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2019/2035 which supplements Regulation (EU) 2016/429.

MAIN DOCUMENT

Regulation (EC) No 1760/2000 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 17 July 2000 establishing a system for the identification and registration of bovine animals and regarding the labelling of beef and beef products and repealing Council Regulation (EC) No 820/97 (OJ L 204, 11.8.2000, pp. 1–10).

Successive amendments and corrections to Regulation (EC) No 1760/2000 have been incorporated in the original text. This consolidated version is of documentary value only.

RELATED DOCUMENTS

Commission Regulation (EC) No 1825/2000 of 25 August 2000 laying down detailed rules for the application of Regulation (EC) No 1760/2000 of the European Parliament and of the Council as regards the labelling of beef and beef products (OJ L 216, 26.8.2000, pp. 8–12)

See consolidated version.

last update 23.09.2022

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