Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2003-10-21-Speech-2-182"
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"en.20031021.6.2-182"2
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".
Firstly, I would like to thank Mr Staes for tabling a question on adding water and protein to chicken meat. This issue was debated during sitting of 1 July 2003, so it is now an opportunity to inform the House about the present state of play.
I would first like to say a few words on the background to this issue. As you know, the Irish and UK authorities have revealed fraudulent practices designed to artificially increase the weight of poultry-meat by adding water and protein to other ingredients. The process is used to retain a large quantity of water, up to 40% or indeed, even as high as 50%. That is the reason why I have asked my services to do all they can in order to improve this unfortunate situation.
In line with the proposal made by the UK authorities, my services have been working on a Commission directive in order to highlight, on the label, the presence of added water in such products.
A draft has been discussed with experts from Member States and stakeholders. It provides a requirement to include 'with added water', and the percentage of water added, in the name of the product itself.
However, I remain of the opinion that labelling products to which water has been added is only the second best solution if water has been added only to increase artificially the weight and therefore to mislead the consumer. The practice of adding water to food in order to cheat the consumer is despicable. I have therefore again asked my services to examine whether there is any possibility of banning this practice under current Community law, and that work is being undertaken at the moment."@en1
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