EU in favour of labelling origin of fresh pork

//24 Jun 2011
Fresh pork, poultry, lamb and goat meat should be labelled mentioning their country of origin in the European Union. The labelling will not be applicable to processed meat or dairy products.
This is the result of a talk between several parties involved, like the European Parliament, the European Council and the European Commission, sources revealed to the Dutch agricultural newspaper Agrarisch Dagblad.

The European Parliament initially wanted a country of origin labelling for all meat and dairy but many member states as well as the European Commission opposed this proposal, as it would be too complicated to guarantee it would work.

The Commission therefore promised a ‘impact assessment’, to be carried out over the next two or three years, to see if further steps need be taken.

In many EU countries, a method using a ‘light regime’ is opted for. This would exclude mentioning an animal’s country of birth, simply because in that case many different batches of meat have to be separated in processing plants.

The European Parliament also wished to have implemented a mandatory labelling for all meat slaughtered without the prior use of anaesthetics. Especially France and Spain oppose this proposal, since there are many Muslim communities within their borders, that slaughter their meat without prior use of anaesthetics.

Mandatory origin labeling for beef and veal was agreed in the EU in 2000, at the start of the Europe's second BSE (bovine spongiform encephalopathy) crisis.

Related websites:
European Commission
Agrarisch Dagblad (in Dutch)

Lithuania reports outbreak of Classical Swine Fever - origin still unclear

//03 Jun 2011
Lithuania has reported an outbreak of Classical Swine Fever to the world Organization for Animal Health (OIE) on June 1.
The disease was suspected one day earlier on the pig farm of the joint stock company Berzs Kompleksas, located in the village of Sils, near the city of Kaunas, in the heart of the country.

The outbreak of CSF was confirmed by the National Food and Veterinary Risk Assessment Institute (NFVRAI), which is the designated National Reference Laboratory for CSF of Lithuania.

Susceptible
The farm had 15,919 swine and all were reported to be susceptible to the virus – but so far details about mortality or culling figures are not known. Vaccination to CSF is prohibited and the affected animals will not be treated – after stamping out, the premises will be completely disinfected.

All the CSF eradication and prevention measures have been applied in the outbreak and around it.

Measures applied
A standstill regime for pigs is introduced in the whole territory of Lithuania for trade and export. No movement, no trade (in or out) of pigs from the infected farm was done to EU countries. On all the industrial pig farms of Lithuania which export live pigs, trade in pigs with other EU member states and move pigs within the country, clinical and laboratory examination starts to be performed. Wildlife is also controlled.

Although the strain (type 2.1) is identical to an outbreak in July/August 2009, so far the origin of the outbreak is unknown. Infection through wild boar is not suspected. State Food and Veterinary Services will start an investigation of the outbreak and all the measures.

Related website:
• World Organization for Animal Health (OIE)