Businesses across the UK are being urged to check they are selling authentic Welsh Lamb and Welsh Beef to avoid prosecution.
Welsh red meat promotion agency Hybu Cig Cymru (HCC) is encouraging any businesses that use Welsh Lamb or Welsh Beef to ensure they are being supplied with meat from approved sources.
Welsh Lamb and Welsh Beef both have the EU’s Protected Geographical Indication (PGI) status which means only meat from lambs and cattle that have been born and reared in Wales and slaughtered and processed at approved abattoirs and cutting plants can be labelled as Welsh Lamb or Welsh Beef.
To help businesses verify they are being supplied with genuine PGI Welsh Lamb and PGI Welsh Beef, HCC has published a list of abattoirs and cutting plants that are authorised to slaughter and process Welsh Lamb and Welsh Beef.
Any businesses that claim to be selling Welsh Lamb or Welsh Beef that have not come from an approved plant could face prosecution.
Gwyn Howells, HCC’s chief executive, said: “The Welsh Lamb and Welsh Beef brands are seen as trustworthy by the public because of their quality and traceability and it is important that businesses do not mislead their customers about where their meat is from.
“Both Welsh Lamb and Welsh Beef are protected by the EU and HCC will continue to work with enforcement authorities to ensure that consumer confidence in the brands is not eroded by fraudulent activity.”
This story was originally published on a previous version of the Meat Management website and so there may be some missing images and formatting issues.
