poultry meat

Decree amending the Commodities Act Decree on the preparation and treatment of foodstuffs related to adjustments to the warning label for poultry meat and the expiry-date labelling of food and drink products and several technical adaptations

Commodities Act Decree on the preparation and treatment of foodstuffs

(https://wetten.overheid.nl/BWBR0005758/2021-07-01)
Article 4a (2), which contains technical regulations, is amended according to the renewed warning label for packed poultry meat. A package of measures aimed to control Salmonella and Campylobacter in poultry meat was adopted in 2001 together with the poultry sector following an opinion of the Health Council on food infections. A part of this was communication with the consumer. In coordination with the industry, a warning text on packaging of fresh poultry meat was adopted at that time.
The RIVM examined the effectiveness of the warning label on poultry meat in order to determine whether this label has an impact on the risk perception, behaviour and kitchen hygiene of the consumer. This study was completed in 2015. The consumer survey shows that a large majority of consumers consider that a warning label on chicken meat packaging is important, useful, helpful and reassuring. It also stated that the design and place of the label are important and can have reinforcing effects.
The Voedingscentrum (Nutrition Centre) commissioned a consumer survey to draft an adapted warning text and design. The results of the consumer survey, along with the proposals for the adapted warning text, have been discussed with the industry. It led to the amended text and draft of the warning label.
The Article 15 of the Decree is amended to better align with Article 24 (1) of the Regulation (EU) 1169/2011 on the ‘use by’ date.
Amendment to the Commodities Act Decree on administrative penalties
The Annex to the Commodities Act Decree on administrative penalties is amended in order for a breach of the provisions of the Commodities Act Decree on the preparation and treatment of foodstuffs to be penalised with a fine.
For the sake of completeness, it is noted that Article 13d of the Commodities Act contains a mutual recognition clause. The mutual recognition clause provides that an EU Member State shall not ban in its own territory the sale of goods legally brought onto the market in another EU Member State because the goods do not meet its own national regulations. It is therefore critical here that goods coming from another EU Member State offer at least an equivalent level of protection. Thus, the trade in goods with an equivalent level of protection originating from other EU Member States falling under the scope of this Decree shall not be prohibited as a result of the requirements included in this Decree.