Press Release - The "Origin UK" statement on a retail bee pack guarantees that all it beef ..........

The “Origin UK” statement on a retail beef pack guarantees that all its beef is of UK origin – and not imported.

Busy investigators, angry retailers, and nationwide public concern led by shocked consumers, has routed any immediate threat of beef, or beef products, on offer in supermarkets being re-contaminated with imported horsemeat or any other bizarre cross-species substitution.

But, says the National Beef Association, no-one can afford to lower their guard otherwise consumers could once again be buying a beef product which they belatedly discover was not at all what they expected.

“The biggest, best, and most longstanding consumer safeguard, is to only buy beef from cattle that were born, reared and processed in the UK and whose beef was packed by a company operating within UK borders,” explained the NBA’s national director, Chris Mallon.

“The Association is confident this is the case and wants consumers to know that this protection is assured if the supermarket’s retail pack carries the simple phrase “Origin UK”, and this compulsory, origin statement is not cluttered by other information that proves the beef came from, or was handled within, the Republic of Ireland (ROI) or any other EU, or non EU, country as well.”

“Only beef that is 100 per cent British can be sold in a pack with an origin statement that simply states “Origin UK” in bold letters. This reassurance is usually displayed on the underside of the pack and the guarantee it carries is rock solid.”

“Some retailers like to mix in beef from the Republic of Ireland (ROI) as it is cheaper and can take advantage of the clear consumer preference for British beef by assembling the pack inside UK borders and then do their utmost to create an impression that everything it contains is the genuine British product.”

“Camouflage includes describing it as “British Isles beef”, or on occasions even using the Union Jack. But, and the NBA is very pleased this is the case, they cannot compound this concealment by using the “Origin UK” guarantee to cover country of birth, and the country in which the beef animal was reared, also where it was processed, and then where its beef was packed.”

“”Origin UK’ covers all four segments of the compulsory information required on country of origin and its presence stitches together the cast iron assertion that the origin of all the beef inside the pack can only be British.”

“Farm assured beef produced in the UK is sold under the Red Tractor logo and because this can only be displayed on “Origin UK” retail packs it acts as a double guarantee of UK origin and many consumers welcome the way it underlines the original assurance.”

“However not all packs of “Origin UK” beef are covered by the Red Tractor so consumers whose principal concern is that they are buying high provenance, home produced, beef that has been channeled through the shortest possible supply chain should use “Origin UK” as their infallible primary guide – and regard the Red Tractor as their farm assurance bonus and double seal of approval,” Mr Mallon added.

For more information contact;
Chris Mallon, NBA national director. Tel. 07579009648