"Meat labels are misleading"

Low quality meat

The organization investigated product labels in seven different countries, like “filet américain préparé” in Belgium. According to the legislation, this item should contain at least 70 % of beef, but that issue was often avoided by different labels (like “préparé du chef”) which then gave manufacturers the opportunity to add more pork.

Labels on other items also neglected to mention several items, while they actually should. This way, customers often do not know the meat they buy is actually sub-par quality-wise.

Stricter rules is what the European Consumer Organisation now ask, to avoid abuse. “It is so very easy to commit fraud that there is no reason to stop”, European Consumer Organisation chairman Monique Goyens said.