Brussels, 26/11/2001 (Agence Europe) - On Monday, the European Commission adopted a directive tightening up the definition of the term "meat" for the labelling of pre-packed meat-based products such as cooked meat, prepared dishes and canned meat. The only current Community definition of meat makes no distinction between muscle meat, fat and offal, whereas consumers generally perceive meat to mean muscle meat. The Member States will have until 1 January 2003 to incorporate the directive in their legal systems.
There is a provision for a certain percentage of fat (sticking to muscle) to be treated as "meat", subject to the maximum limits laid down in the definition. The directive also provides for the systematic indication of the species from which the meat comes (beef, pork, poultry, etc). The new directive will also eliminate a number of obstacles to trade caused by differing national definitions.