EU legislation
Council Regulation (EC) No. 1234/2007 (no longer in force) (OJ L 299, p1, 16/11/2007) of 22 October 2007 establishing a common organisation of agriculture markets and on specific provisions for certain agriculture products (Single CMO Regulation)
Council Regulation (EC) No 361/2008 (OJ L 121, p1, 07/05/2008) of 14 April 2008 amending Regulation (EC) No. 1234/2007 establishing a common organisation of agricultural markets and on specific provisions for certain agricultural products (Single CMO Regulation)
National legislation
European Communities (Marketing of meat of bovine animals aged 12 months or less) Regulations 2008 (S.I. No. 245 of 2008)
Note this legislation transposes the previous EC legislation on this product, i.e., Regulation (EC) No. 700 of 2007 and its amendment.
Regulation (EC) No. 1234/2007 as amended by Regulation (EC) No. 361 of 2008 lays down the conditions for the marketing in the European Community of the meat of bovine animals aged 12 months or less and the sales descriptions to be used. It applies to the meat of bovine animals aged 12 months or less slaughtered after 1 July 2008, whether produced in the European Community or imported from third countries.
On slaughter, bovine animals aged 12 months or less must be classified in one of the following two categories:
- Category V: bovines from the day of birth until the day they reach the age of eight months; Category identification letter: V Sales description (Ireland): Veal
- Category Z: bovines from the day after reaching the age of eight months until the day they reach the age of 12 months. Category identification letter: Z. Sales description (Ireland): rosé Veal
Compulsory information on the label
Notwithstanding the provisions in point IV of Annex XIa to Regulation (EC) No. 1234/2007 (no longer in force), immediately after slaughter, the category identification letter referred to above must be indicated on the outside surface of the carcass by using labels or stamps.
The labels must be of a size not less than 50 cm2. The category identification letter shall be perfectly legible on the label. In case stamps are used, the letter shall be not less than two centimetres in height. The letter must be stamped directly on the surface of the meat using an indelible ink.
The labels or stamps shall be applied on the hindquarters on the striploin at the level of the fourth lumbar vertebra and on the forequarters, on the brisket between 10 and 30 centimetres from the cut edge of the sternum.
The indications of the age of the bovine animal on slaughter and the sales description must be:
- perfectly legible at each stage of production and marketing;
- presented in the same visual field and on the same label at the moment of the release of the meat to the final consumer