Small ruminant meat and small ruminant meat products (sheep and goats)

Selected quality, specification for fresh, chilled and frozen small ruminant meat and small ruminant meat products (sheep and goats)

Producers and breeders of small ruminants represented by the Chamber of Agriculture and Forestry of Slovenia and processors represented by GIZ meat industry of Slovenia joined forces to prepare the specification for the small ruminant sector. The content of the specification was also approved by the Chamber of Commerce of Slovenia.

The proposed specification prescribes additional requirements for the breeding of small ruminants and the labelling of meat, meat products and meat preparations with the indication “selected quality”.
The additional requirements refer in particular to the conditions regarding the breeding of small ruminants, as a minimum period of grazing is laid down, a list of individual prohibited feeds that may not be used in animal feed preparation is prescribed, the time for transport is limited and additional animal health requirements are laid down.
The specification also prescribes the conditions for additional labelling with the indication “farm”, which requires products to be produced on a farm involved in processing and with a maximum of three employees, animals must be born and reared on the farm, meat and products must be smoked in a classical manner with smoke, the meat can only be salted by hand using a dry or wet process. It is not allowed to add artificial flavourings, extracts, colouring agents, flavour enhancers, ripening accelerators and other technological additives (carob
flour, soy and milk proteins, starch, etc.).
The specification refers to the labelling of meat and meat products from small ruminants, which were born, raised, slaughtered and processed in the same country. The requirements of the proposed specification thus relate to the labelling indicating the country of production and processing of the basic raw material. The indication of the country of production and processing is interchangeable when the condition of production and processing of the basic raw material in the same country is met.