# CE2004078EN.01001201.xml

| 27.3.2004 | EN | Official Journal of the European Union | CE 78/12 |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |

27.3.2004

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

CE 78/12

---

(2004/C 78 E/0013)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0072/03

by Erik Meijer (GUE/NGL) to the Commission

(23 January 2003)

Subject:   The dangers of selling thawed deep-frozen meat as fresh meat and a requirement to warn consumers against refreezing it

Subject:

| 1. | Is the Commission aware that deep-frozen meat imported into the EU is thawed and sold as fresh, as was the case with the rabbit meat imported into the Netherlands from China at the beginning of 2002 and sold in supermarkets around Christmas 2002 which then proved to have decayed? |
| --- | --- |

1.

Is the Commission aware that deep-frozen meat imported into the EU is thawed and sold as fresh, as was the case with the rabbit meat imported into the Netherlands from China at the beginning of 2002 and sold in supermarkets around Christmas 2002 which then proved to have decayed?

| 2. | Is the Dutch Food Inspection Service right to say that it is quite common to import deep-frozen meat and sell it as fresh without informing buyers of the fact? |
| --- | --- |

2.

Is the Dutch Food Inspection Service right to say that it is quite common to import deep-frozen meat and sell it as fresh without informing buyers of the fact?

| 3. | Is the Commission aware that the same is true of meat from wild animals which hunters shoot throughout the year and which is then sold as fresh during the holiday period at the end of the year after having been frozen for a long period? |
| --- | --- |

3.

Is the Commission aware that the same is true of meat from wild animals which hunters shoot throughout the year and which is then sold as fresh during the holiday period at the end of the year after having been frozen for a long period?

| 4. | Can the Commission confirm that this procedure particularly causes problems if the buyer refreezes the thawed meat at home with the intention of eating it later, which causes a rapid deterioration in its quality? |
| --- | --- |

4.

Can the Commission confirm that this procedure particularly causes problems if the buyer refreezes the thawed meat at home with the intention of eating it later, which causes a rapid deterioration in its quality?

| 5. | Are there EU Member States where it is now compulsory to indicate on packaging that meat has already been frozen? If so, which? |
| --- | --- |

5.

Are there EU Member States where it is now compulsory to indicate on packaging that meat has already been frozen? If so, which?

| 6. | Will the Commission take measures to ensure that a requirement exists throughout the EU for vendors of packaged meat to distinguish clearly between meat which has already been stored in a deepfreeze and meat from freshly slaughtered animals, and to warn buyers against refreezing meat which has already been frozen? |
| --- | --- |

6.

Will the Commission take measures to ensure that a requirement exists throughout the EU for vendors of packaged meat to distinguish clearly between meat which has already been stored in a deepfreeze and meat from freshly slaughtered animals, and to warn buyers against refreezing meat which has already been frozen?

Source: ‘Rotterdams Dagblad’, 28 December 2002.

Answer given by Mr Byrne on behalf of the Commission

(17 March 2003)

(17 March 2003)

| 1. | The Commission is not aware of any complaints or reports concerning the marketing of decayed rabbit meat imported from China. If such marketing took place, it is assumed that the competent authorities of the Netherlands took the appropriate protective measures. |
| --- | --- |

1.

The Commission is not aware of any complaints or reports concerning the marketing of decayed rabbit meat imported from China. If such marketing took place, it is assumed that the competent authorities of the Netherlands took the appropriate protective measures.

| 2. | The Commission is enquiring from the competent authorities of the Netherlands about the allegation made in question 2 and will write to the Honourable Member with the results of this enquiry. |
| --- | --- |

2.

The Commission is enquiring from the competent authorities of the Netherlands about the allegation made in question 2 and will write to the Honourable Member with the results of this enquiry.

| 3. | The Commission has no information on the alleged practices in Member States concerning meat of domestic animals, rabbit meat or wild game meat.
  Directive 2000/13/EC of the Parliament and of the Council of 20 March 2000 concerns the approximation of the laws of the Member States relating to the labelling, presentation and advertising of foodstuffs (1). Article 2(1) requires that labelling used must not mislead the purchaser as to the characteristics of the foodstuff or attribute to the foodstuff effects or properties, which it does not possess. |
| --- | --- |

3.

The Commission has no information on the alleged practices in Member States concerning meat of domestic animals, rabbit meat or wild game meat.

Directive 2000/13/EC of the Parliament and of the Council of 20 March 2000 concerns the approximation of the laws of the Member States relating to the labelling, presentation and advertising of foodstuffs (1). Article 2(1) requires that labelling used must not mislead the purchaser as to the characteristics of the foodstuff or attribute to the foodstuff effects or properties, which it does not possess.

1

| 4. | Freezing meat may affect its organoleptic qualities of appearance, odour and taste. Thawing frozen meat causes fluid formation. Such fluid is a good medium for the growth of bacteria and might enhance microbiological spoilage and growth of pathogenic bacteria. Re-freezing and subsequent re-thawing of meat may accelerate the phenomenon. |
| --- | --- |

4.

Freezing meat may affect its organoleptic qualities of appearance, odour and taste. Thawing frozen meat causes fluid formation. Such fluid is a good medium for the growth of bacteria and might enhance microbiological spoilage and growth of pathogenic bacteria. Re-freezing and subsequent re-thawing of meat may accelerate the phenomenon.

| 5. and 6. | Council Directive 89/108/EEC of 21 December 1988 on the approximation of the laws of the Member States relating to quick-frozen foodstuffs for human consumption (2) requires that such foodstuffs in consumer packs must bear a clear message of the type ‘do not refreeze after defrosting’. Furthermore, in relation to poultrymeat, Council Regulation (EEC) No. 1906/90 of 26 June 1990 on certain marketing standards for poultrymeat (3) provides that poultrymeat sold under the presentations ‘fresh’, ‘frozen’ or ‘quick-frozen’ must have always been kept in the respective state. |
| --- | --- |

5. and 6.

Council Directive 89/108/EEC of 21 December 1988 on the approximation of the laws of the Member States relating to quick-frozen foodstuffs for human consumption (2) requires that such foodstuffs in consumer packs must bear a clear message of the type ‘do not refreeze after defrosting’. Furthermore, in relation to poultrymeat, Council Regulation (EEC) No. 1906/90 of 26 June 1990 on certain marketing standards for poultrymeat (3) provides that poultrymeat sold under the presentations ‘fresh’, ‘frozen’ or ‘quick-frozen’ must have always been kept in the respective state.

2

3

---

(1)  OJ L 109, 6.5.2000.

1

(2)  OJ L 40, 11.2.1989.

2

(3)  OJ L 173, 6.7.1990.

3

---