April 20, 2006

Beef producer group wants UK beef to be segregated

British consumers may be surprised if their beef stew consists of beef from different countries, giving new meaning to the term "melting pot", but UK beef producers are not amused.

The British National Beef Association (NBA) is expressing serious concerns over retail mixing of beef from different countries of origin in supermarkets and has called for any transgressions to be reported to the Trading Standards Offices.

The NBA said that it is alarmed at the multiple occasions in which UK beef has been sold from the same section of the chill cabinet as imported beef. The association believes many consumers would have bought beef assuming them to be British when in fact they were not.

Last week, NBA wrote to major supermarkets pointing out that EU law stipulates that it is illegal to mislead consumers in the way packages are displayed and the setting in which they are arranged, NBA chief executive Robert Forster said.

Forster said it is important to note that EU law supersedes UK law, even in matters relating to beef labeling and retail presentation. Supermarkets are therefore obliged not to mix, or co-mingle, retail packs from different countries of origin, he said.

The NBA believes there is an obvious advantage to the UK industry if its beef is segregated.

Setting beef apart allows consumers to be sure they are buying beef produced in the country of their choice. Since UK beef is attractive to purchasers willing to pay a premium, it offers an opportunity for the retailer, as well as the farmer, to build up income through increased sales or from improved market prices, Forster said.

When supermarkets mix or co-mingle beef, it gives beef farmers a legitimate reason to complain to Trading Standards as consumers have been misled, he added.