Brussels: The EU will tomorrow introduce labels showing the origins of pre-packed meat other than beef, but critics had sought even tougher rules in the wake of the horsemeat scandal.
The new rules for fresh, chilled and frozen meat from sheep, goats, pigs and poultry require listing for EU consumers the countries where the animals were raised and slaughtered, said the European Commission, the executive of the 28-nation bloc.
These rules, which also apply to meat from non-EU countries, are less strict than those for beef that have existed since 2002 and require also listing where the cows were born.
The commission said that a rule requiring informing consumers of the birthplace of animals other than cattle would be disproportionately costly and burdensome.
"In practice, the volume of individual cattle movements is significantly higher than with pigs, poultry, sheep and goats," it said.
And as is the case for beef, processed meats like cured hams and meat pies are not required to show the origins of the product.
The limits on labelling have fueled criticism from members of parliament and consumers who want steps to build confidence after the horsemeat scandal.
The scandal started in January 2013, when beefburgers sold in several British and Irish supermarket chains were found to contain horsemeat, before spreading to more than a dozen other countries.
