10. 9. 90 Official Journal of the European Communities No C 225/1 
II 
(Preparatory Acts) 
ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COMMITTEE 
Opinion on the proposal for a Council Regulation (EEC) laying down the health rules for the 
production and placing on the market of minced meat, meat preparations and comminuted meat 
for industrial use (*) 
(90/C 225/01) 
On 1 March 1990 the Council decided to consult the Economic and Social Committee, under 
Article 43 of the Treaty establishing the European Economic Community, on the abovementioned 
proposal. 
The Section for Protection of the Environment, Public Health and Consumer Affairs, which was 
responsible for preparing the Committee's work on the subject, adopted its opinion on 5 June 1990. 
The rapporteur was Mr Wick. 
At its 278th plenary session (meeting of 5 July 1990), the Committee adopted the following opinion 
by a large majority with no votes against and two abstentions. 
The Committee welcomes the Commission proposal 
subject to the following comments: 
1. General comments 
1.1. The proposal is of great importance for consumer 
protection since border controls will be abolished when the 
single market comes into being. 
1.2. The Committee would refer to its detailed opinion 
of 23 March 1988. Key points raised in that document have 
already been referred to and to some extent even 
incorporated in Directive 88/657/EEC of 14 December 
1988. 
1.3. The Committee agrees with the Commission that 
its proposal should not contain provisions referring to 
quality standards but should be confined per se to health 
problems. The Committee notes the Commission state­
ment that quality standards will be dealt with in a different 
context. 
1.4. The Committee considers that appropriate levels of 
health regulations should apply to products for direct 
consumption and to products for processing. The Commis-
(») OJ No C 84, 2. 4. 1990, p. 120. sion should keep this principle in mind when drafting 
individual Articles of the proposal. 
1.5. The Committee regrets that the many cross-
references to regulations which have not yet been adopted 
make it difficult to properly assess and reach an opinion on 
the proposal. 
1.6. The Committee proposes that the following recital 
be added to strengthen the preamble: 
'Whereas the main reason for laying down health 
provisions in this area should be to protect individual 
and public health' 
2. Specific comments 
2.1. Article 1 (2) 
The Committee believes that the retail trade should be 
covered by the general health rules laid down in the draft 
Directive on the protection of public health. 
'Purchaser' is too wide a concept and should be narrowed 
down to 'final consumer'. 
It should be made clear that retail shop means specialist 
meat shops and shops with a small, limited production for 
direct sale to the final consumer. 
No C 225/2 Official Journal of the European Communities 10. 9. 90 
2.2. Article 2 (2) 
With regard to the term 'additives', the Committee would 
like the text to mention that a list of additives and their uses 
is to be drawn up. 
The Committee proposes that the rule stating that 'the 
preparation must be such that the cellular structure of the 
meat is unaffected' be qualified. This is because when salts, 
spices, etc. are added, muscle protein is broken down. The 
provision therefore makes no technological sense. 
2.3. Article 3 (A) (g) 
The Committee proposes that the words 'for direct 
consumption' be added after the phrase 'as ingredient for 
meat preparations' to clarify the point. 
2.4. Article 4 (1) 
The Committee proposes that the words 'for direct 
consumption' be added after the words 'meat preparations' 
to clarify the point. 
2.5. Article 4 (1) (a) (i) 
The provision stipulating that fresh meat must be used for 
the production of minced meat and meat preparations 
within six days of slaughter is considered by the Committee 
to be too restrictive. The time limit could be extended to a 
maximum of nine days for beef, though not for pork. This 
time limit should only apply to products intended for direct 
consumption. 
The Committee thinks that when chilled fresh meat is being 
processed a certain proportion of frozen meat may be 
added if this is necessary for technical reasons, e.g. for the 
preparation of minced steaks. 
The stipulation of a method of identification will pose 
problems. There is no known clear method for fresh meat 
in practice. 
2.6. Article 4 (1) (c) (i) 
The requirement that minced meat wrapped for the final 
consumer should be cooled to an internal temperature of 
+ 2 °C within one hour is technically too exacting; the 
outer layer of the meat could also become frozen and 
deteriorate in quality. It is suggested that an internal 
temperature of less than + 4 °C within one hour should be 
regarded as sufficient, something which is supported by the 
positive experiences in some Member States. As far as 
products for direct consumption are concerned, cooling to 
an internal temperature of + 2 °C within two hours would 
also ease the technical problems without having an adverse 
effect on health. No changes are to be tolerated during shipment and storage. There is no question that extreme 
care has to be displayed here. 
In the case of products for direct consumption (!) they must 
be obtained from chilled fresh meat in the manner referred 
to in sub-paragraph (a) (i). 
2.7. Article 5 (3) 
The Committee suggests the drafting of detailed Directives 
for the inspection and supervision of establishments; these 
Directives will also lay down training standards for staff 
performing this work. 
The Committee proposes that only those parts of 
establishments which are involved in production and 
storage should be open to inspection. 
2.8. Article 6 (1) 
The Committee proposes that the Commission should not 
have to give reasons for its veterinary experts' checks. Such 
checks, which are designed to verify whether the provisions 
of this Regulation are being observed, should also be 
obligatory and not optional. 
The Committee believes that establishments should be 
notified of the results as soon as the checks have been 
completed. 
2.9. Article 11 
The Committee considers that abuse of derogations must 
at all events be prevented. The Commission is therefore 
asked to examine the possibility of adopting the following 
provision. 
'Whenever derogations are applied for, or granted, they 
should be made public by the competent authority.' 
2.10. Annex 1, Chapter III, 8 
The Committee proposes that the term 'scrap' be defined 
more precisely. Fresh trimmings resulting from the cutting-
up of meat must not be excluded. 
The Committee suggests that the use of meat from legs also 
be made possible. 
The term 'Bauschlappen' in the German text covers a much 
bigger area than 'bavette' and 'central part of the belly' in 
the French and English versions. The Committee proposes 
a ban on the use for the manufacture of minced meat and 
0) Products for direct consumption are defined in the Regulation 
as: minced meat or meat preparations intended to be consumed 
without undergoing any further treatment. 
10. 9. 90 Official Journal of the European Communities No C 225/3 
meat preparations of an approximately 5 cm wide strip of 
the linea alba from the inguinal to the umbilical regions. 
The Committee proposes that mechanically recovered 
meat (by means of 'separation') be added to the list of meat 
parts which are not authorized in the manufacture of 
minced meat. 
The Committee proposes the words underlined should be 
added to the text of Annex 1, Chapter 3, 8. The text as 
proposed for amendment is as follows: 
'Minced meat shall not be obtained from scrap cuttings 
or scrap trimmings and shall not contain any bone 
fragments. 
In particular, it shall not be prepared from meat derived 
from the following parts of bovine animals, pigs, sheep 
or goats: 
(a) the point at which the sticking of the animal took 
place, injection areas and bone scrapings; and 
(b) in the case of products for direct consumption, 
fragments of muscles from the head, boned skin 
1. Introduction 
The present communication from the Commission is 
divided into two connected parts: first, the report on the 
rapid exchange of information arising from the use of 
consumer products, and second, the proposal for a Council 
Decision amending Decision 89/45 mainly in the context of 
Article 7. 
2. General comments 
•2.1. The Committee notes with interest and approval 
the present document from the Commission which updates meat, diaphragm and the central part of the belly 
muscles.' 
2.11. Annex 1, Chapter V, 11 
The Committee sees no need for the permanent presence of 
a representative from the official service when work is 
undertaken. Spot checks should be carried out prior to the 
start of work and during production. 
2.12. Annex I, Chapter VI, 13 
The Committee proposes the deletion of 'comminuted 
meat for industrial use'. There is also a contradiction 
between this point and Article 1 (3). 
Done at Brussels, 4 July 1990. 
The Chairman 
of the Economic and Social Committee 
Alberto MASPRONE 
its previous report published in 1988. This was unani­
mously approved by the Committee (2). Though the report 
is regrettably late, the Committee commends the Com­
mission's critical appraisal of the present system for 
blocking or banning products. The report analyses 
problems such as those arising from identification, 
duplication and verification, and examines possibilities for 
more effective action. 
2.2. The Committee welcomes the Annex which 
contains complete lists of the 98 named products — Opinion on the proposal for a Council Decision amending Decision 89/45/EEC on a Community 
system for the rapid exchange of information on dangers arising from the use of consumer 
products (*) 
(90/C 225/02) 
On 1 June 1990 the Council decided to consult the Economic and Social Committee, under 
Article 198 of the Treaty establishing the European Economic Community, on the abovementioned 
proposal. 
The Section for Protection of the Environment, Public Health and Consumer Affairs, which was 
responsible for preparing the Committee's work on the subject, adopted its opinion on 5 June 1990. 
The rapporteur was Mrs Williams. 
At its 278th plenary session (meeting of 4 July 1990), the Committee adopted the following opinion 
by a large majority with one vote against and one abstention. 
(*) OJ No C 135, 2. 6. 1990, p. 11. (2) OJ No C 175, 4. 7. 1988.