European Meat Alliance has established a set of rules

In Brussels, the representatives of the four members of the European Meat Alliance (EMA) agreed on a set of rules for working together to harmonize national quality standards. The adoption of these framework conditions, which are important for the continued successful work of the EMA, took place in the presence of the EU parliamentarian Jan Mulder, who is also a co-initiator of the EU initiative for the harmonization of quality assurance systems.

By defining the criteria of the requirements framework and the basis thus created for the recognition of raw materials from other EMA countries, the EMA members Denmark (QSG), Netherlands (IKB), Belgium (Certus) and Germany (QS) have one important step on the way to harmonizing the four national quality systems. The requirement framework essentially summarizes the criteria that show complete agreement in all four member countries, i.e. meat production can only take place as an integral chain process. This includes all activities from feed production to rearing and fattening the animals to transport and slaughtering as well as cutting and packaging. The analysis of these matches was carried out by an institute specially commissioned by the EMA for this purpose.

With the agreement signed in Brussels, EMA members, which also include representatives of international retailers, have agreed that non-compliance with the rules will be subject to sanctions on a national basis. However, each EMA organization is still free to supplement the agreed framework with national plus factors. These plus factors, which are characterized by the individual requirements of the national markets, represent a supplement to the EMA criteria, but must not undermine them in terms of security and transparency. Of course, traceability must not be impaired by the plus factors.

The framework conditions agreed by the EMA are not only an important contribution to more food safety and quality in the area of ​​meat production, but also ensure the maintenance of the essential important trade between the EMA member countries. The EMA initiative can definitely serve as a guide for other EU countries. The EMA does not want to be a "closed society" of the four member countries, but is examining the admission of other interested parties very carefully in order to promote the common European goal.

Source: Brussels [ ema ]