Commission Regulation (EC) No 275/2007 of 15 March 2007 amending Regulation (EC) No 1825/2000 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
Date: 2007-03-15
Institutions: European Commission
Subjects: beef, classification, database, food standard, health control, labelling, meat product, traceability

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Official Journal of the European Union

16.3.2007

COMMISSION REGULATION (EC) No 275/2007

of 15 March 2007

amending Regulation (EC) No 1825/2000 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

THE COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES,

Having regard to the Treaty
Community,

establishing the European

and trimmings to establish homogeneous groups of
sufficient size to meet customer requirements. These
difficulties are exacerbated when large quantities are
ordered. Experience has shown that
these difficulties
and the substantial additional operations they involve
result in numerous errors that often compromise the
traceability of this type of product.

the
Having regard to Regulation (EC) No 1760/2000 of
European Parliament and of the Council of 17 July 2000 estab-
lishing 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 (1), and in
particular the fourth paragraph of Article 14 and Article 19(a)
and (b) thereof,

(4) Where possible, operators are tending more and more to
choose one of the few large suppliers in order to avoid
the additional constraints involved in managing several
this
groups with different characteristics. Over
could threaten the continued existence of certain small
and medium-sized slaughterhouses and cutting plants,
which may be excluded from certain markets.

time,

Whereas:

(5)

(6)

(1)

(2)

The definition of the groups referred to in Article 13 of
Regulation (EC) No 1760/2000 and the question of their
differently.
homogeneity
Commission Regulation (EC) No 1825/2000 (2) should
therefore specify how those groups are to be made up.

interpreted

been

have

Various questions have been raised about the labelling of
minced beef when it
is mixed with meats of other
species. Section I of Part One of Annex I to Council
Regulation (EEC) No 2658/87 of 23 July 1987 on the
tariff and statistical nomenclature and on the Common
Customs Tariff (3) lays down specific rules for the classi-
such mixtures. A
fication of products made up of
the CN
reference to that nomenclature by means of
codes referred to in Article 12 of Regulation (EC) No
1760/2000 will provide the necessary clarification.

(3)

Constraints as regards homogeneity resulting from the
application of Article 13 of Regulation (EC) No
1760/2000 make it difficult for producers of cut meats

(1) OJ L 204, 11.8.2000, p. 1. Regulation as last amended by Council
Regulation (EC) No 1791/2006 (OJ L 363, 20.12.2006, p. 1).

(2) OJ L 216, 26.8.2000, p. 8.
(3) OJ L 256, 7.9.1987, p. 1. Regulation as last amended by Regulation

(EC) No 129/2007 (OJ L 56, 23.2.2007, p. 1).

The problems encountered by producers of cut meats
to those experienced by
and trimmings are similar
producers of minced meat. Adopting for
trimmings
measures similar to those laid down for minced meat
would resolve the problems faced by the operators
concerned. As regards cut meats, experience has shown
that
these problems could be
resolved by allowing groups to be reconstituted from
the meat of animals slaughtered in three slaughterhouses
and from carcases cut up in three cutting plants, while
ensuring traceability.

the vast majority of

the

the

request of

customer, which makes

Experience has also shown that operators often have
difficulties in applying the provisions of Regulation (EC)
No 1760/2000 as regards labelling in outlets for the sale
of non-pre-packaged cut meats to the final consumer.
Meat is generally cut and sold in such establishments
at
it
impossible, or at
to constitute in
least very difficult,
advance groups of animals within the meaning of
Article 13(1) of Regulation (EC) No 1760/2000.
Similarly,
the
updating
compulsory information on labels
in step with the
permanent restocking of sales counters is very difficult.
Simplified labelling rules therefore need to be adopted for
these products. The adoption for these products of rules
similar to those already adopted for minced meat would
resolve most of the problems being experienced by these
operators.

constantly

time

real

in

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(7)

(8)

At the same time, it must be ensured that outlets for sale
to the final consumer have available at all times infor-
mation on the slaughterhouses at which the animals were
slaughtered and the plants at which the carcases were cut
up for the non-pre-packaged cut meats displayed for sale
each day so that consumers who so request can be given
information orally. This will maintain a level of
that
traceability at
laid down for
minced meat.

least equivalent

to that

In addition, while maintaining the requirements as
regards traceability and the recording of information on
meat displayed for sale at outlets for sale to the final
it should be permitted for such meat to be
consumer,
cut up on different days.

(d) “pre-packaged cut meat”:

the individual pack offered
unaltered to the final consumer or to an establishment
engaged solely in retail sales, made up of cut meat and
the packaging in which it was packed before being
offered for sale, whether the packaging covers it fully
or partially, but
the content cannot be
altered without opening or changing the packaging;

such that

(e) “non-pre-packaged cut meat”: cut meat displayed for sale
non-pre-packaged in outlets
final
consumer and all pieces of meat displayed for sale
final
non-pre-packaged in outlets
the
consumer,
final consumer;

for
intended to be cut at

sale
the request of

to the

to the

sale

for

(9)

Regulation (EC) No 1825/2000 should therefore be
amended.

(10)

The measures provided for in this Regulation are in
the Management
accordance with the opinion of
Committee for Beef and Veal,

HAS ADOPTED THIS REGULATION:

Article 1

(f)

“batch”: meat, on the bone or boned,
for example,
carcases, quarters or boned pieces of meat, cut up,
minced or packed together under practically identical
conditions;

(g) “retail”: the handling and/or processing of meat and its
storage at
the point of sale or delivery to the final
consumer, including caterers, company canteens, institu-
tional catering, restaurants and other similar food service
operations, shops, supermarket distribution centres and
wholesale outlets;

Regulation (EC) No 1825/2000 is hereby amended as follows:

1. The following Article 1(a) is inserted after Article 1:

(h) “final consumer”:

the ultimate consumer of cut meat
who does not use it as part of a food business
operation or activity’.

‘Article 1a

Definitions

2. Article 4 is replaced by the following:

For the purposes of this Regulation, the following definitions
shall apply:

‘Article 4

(a) “minced meat”: any meat that has been minced into
fragments or passed through a spiral-screw mincer, and
that falls within one of the CN codes referred to in
Article 12 of Regulation (EC) No 1760/2000 and
contains less than 1 % salt;

(b) “trimmings”: small pieces of meat recognised as fit for
human
during
trimming operations during the boning of carcases
and/or the cutting up of meat;

consumption

exclusively

produced

(c) “cut meat”: meat which has been cut into small cubes,
slices or other individual portions that do not require
further cutting by an operator before being bought by
the final consumer and can be directly used by that
consumer. This definition does not cover minced meat
and trimmings;

Size and composition of a group

1.
The size of the group referred to in the second subpar-
agraph of Article 13(1) of Regulation (EC) No 1760/2000
shall be defined:

(a) during the cutting of carcases or quarters, by the number
of carcases or quarters cut together and constituting one
batch for the cutting plant concerned;

(b) during further cutting or mincing, by the number of
carcases or quarters whose meat constitutes one batch
for the cutting or mincing plant concerned.

The size of the group may not,
production of one day.

in any case, exceed the

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2. When constituting the batches referred to in para-
graph 1, operators shall ensure that:

(c)

the countries in which the animals constituting the
group were born and raised; the indication shall read:
“Born and raised in (names of the countries in which the
animals were born and raised)”.

(a) all carcases or quarters in a batch cut together are of
animals born in the same country, raised in the same
country or countries and slaughtered in the same
country and at the same slaughterhouse;

(b) all carcases from which meat

in a batch undergoes
further cutting comply with point (a) and must have
been cut up at the same cutting plant;

(c) all meat

in a batch that undergoes mincing is from

animals slaughtered in the same country.

3.
By way of derogation from the requirement regarding
the same slaughterhouse and the same cutting plant laid
down in paragraph 2(b), during the production of cut
meat, operators shall be authorised to constitute batches
from meat of animals slaughtered at a maximum of three
different slaughterhouses and from carcases cut up at a
maximum of three different cutting plants.

4.
By way of derogation from paragraph 2(b), during the
production of trimmings, operators shall, when constituting
batches, be required to comply only with the requirement
regarding the same country of slaughter.’

3. Article 5(1) is deleted.

4. The following Articles are inserted after Article 5:

‘Article 5a

Trimmings

1.
By way of derogation from Article 13(2)(b) and (c) and
(5)(a)(i) and (ii) of Regulation (EC) No 1760/2000, operators
and organisations shall indicate on labels for trimmings:

(a)

the country of slaughter of the animals from which the
trimmings came; the indication shall read: “Slaughtered
in (name of
the Member State or third country of
slaughter)”;

2.
By way of derogation from paragraph 1(a) and (c),
where all the animals in the group were born, raised and
slaughtered in the
shall be
indication “Country of origin:”
authorised to use
third
followed by the name of
the Member State or
country in which the animals were born,
raised and
slaughtered.

country, operators

same
the

Article 5b

Pre-packaged cut meat

By way of derogation from Article 13(2)(b) and (c) of Regu-
lation (EC) No 1760/2000, operators and organisations
the possibility offered by Article
availing themselves of
indicate the following on
4(3) of
labels
in addition to that
in Article 13(5)(a) of Regulation (EC) No
provided for
1760/2000:

for pre-packaged cut meats

this Regulation shall

(a)

the country of slaughter of the animals, followed by the
approval number of the slaughterhouse or, where appro-
priate, the two or three slaughterhouses at which the
the
animals constituting the group were slaughtered;
indication shall read: “Animals in the group slaughtered
in (name of
the Member State or third country of
slaughter) (approval number(s) of the slaughterhouse or
the two or three slaughterhouses concerned)”;

(b) the country in which the carcases were cut up, followed
by the approval number of the cutting plant or, where
appropriate, the two or three cutting plants at which the
carcases were cut up; the indication shall read: “Cutting
of meat in batch in: (name of the Member State or third
country in which meat was cut up) (approval number(s)
of the plant or the two or three plants concerned)”.

Article 5c

Non-pre-packaged cut meat

(b) the country in which the trimmings were produced and
the approval number of the plant at which they were
produced; the indication shall read: “Produced in (name
of the Member State or third country of production and
approval number of the plant)”;

1.
Operators and organisations shall ensure that, where
the derogation provided for in Article 4(3) is applied, the
constitution of batches of all non-pre-packaged cut meats
displayed at the same time at retail outlets for sale to the
final consumer is in accordance with that Article 4(3).

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By way of derogation from Article 13(2)(b) and (c) of
2.
Regulation (EC) No 1760/2000, at points of sale to the final
consumer operators and organisations shall label all non-pre-
packaged cut meats displayed for sale with the name of the
country in which the animals from which the meat came
were born, raised and slaughtered, followed by the name of
the country in which the carcases were cut up.

shall

Meat of animals born and/or raised and/or slaughtered in
different
separated when
be
countries
Information shall be displayed in the
displayed for sale.
sale outlet by such meats
to allow the final
consumer to distinguish easily between meat from different
origins.

clearly

so as

numbers of the slaughterhouses in which the animals were
slaughtered and the cutting plants in which the carcases were
cut up. They shall provide that information to consumers
who so request.

3.
By way of derogation from the second subparagraph of
Article 4(1) and providing that the requirements laid down
in paragraph 2 of this Article are met, in the case of non-
pre-packaged cut beef and/or veal displayed for sale to the
final consumer, the size of the group may exceed one day’s
production.’

Article 2

Operators who display non-pre-packaged cut meats together
for sale each day shall record, with the date, the approval

This Regulation shall enter into force on the seventh day
following its publication in the Official Journal of the European
Union.

This Regulation shall be binding in its entirety and directly applicable in all Member States.

Done at Brussels, 15 March 2007.

For the Commission

Mariann FISCHER BOEL
Member of the Commission