2021/0577/IRL
EC/EFTA
IE Ireland
  • C00A - AGRICULTURE, FISHING AND FOODSTUFFS
2021-12-03
2021-09-03

Specifically concerns meat products and marketing and promotion services.

Update to Notification 2020/0405/IRL - Technical specifications concerning use of a grass fed logo in the Beef sector

The Grass Fed Beef Scheme has been developed by Bord Bia in response to the demands of the marketplace to differentiate beef products on the basis of the grass and pasture based diet of beef animals. It is a meat processor level standard developed in consultation with relevant stakeholders from the beef sectors. The Scheme was notified under 2020/0405/IRL.

The 2020/0405/IRL notification stand still period ended on the 30/09/2020.
There were no further comments or opinions made on this notification following the Ireland response uploaded on 18/09/2020.
The Grass fed Beef standard which accompanied the Notification has now been updated with the scope of qualifying animals extended to cover young bulls.
Summary of the Update
• No changes have been made to the audit criteria or verification mechanisms,
• The words “young bulls” have been added to where the qualifying animals are listed i.e. Cows, Heifers, Steers,
The term “young bulls” is added in three places as outlined below.
Summary of the actual changes in the document from previous version:
In Section 1.6.1
The scope of this Standard applies only to meat for human consumption from bovines classified as heifers, steers, cows and young bulls.
In Section 1.7 Terms and Definitions
The following was added to the definitions Bovine Classifications:
• Cows
• Heifers
• Steers
• Young bulls As defined by Article 10 and Annex IV to Regulation (EU) No 1308/2013.
Section 3.2
Text of Condition 2 updated to include young bulls added:
2. Only heifers, steers, cows and young bulls are eligible
No others changes have been made to the standard.
The update has recently been approved by the Irish National Accreditation Board and is being included under the Bord Bia ISO17065 schedule of accredited schemes.