Agriculture: Better feed, better food: Parliament supports greater transparency on animal feed
The European Parliament today approved a report on "placing on the market and use of feed for animals" by German Green MEP Friedrich Wilhelm Graefe zu Baringdorf, who is Vice-President of the Committee on agriculture and rural development. He commented:
"Today's approved Regulation is a victory for transparency in the animal feed market. Clear labelling and a public register of animal feed components - together with improved consumer rights for information - are key elements.
"This Regulation will not eliminate all risk of further food scares linked to criminal negligence on animal feed. It does however introduce transparency and control measures that will help to uncover fraud and respond to feed problems more quickly."
Commenting on Monday's court judgment on the Belgian dioxin scandal of 1999, where machine oil contaminated animal feed and subsequently meat and eggs, he added:
"More than 10 years after the dioxin scandal in Belgium, a Ghent court has finally ruled that the accused had put their economic interests before public health.
The 1-2 year suspended prison sentence handed down is far too weak considering that the facts clearly demonstrate criminal negligence. The court procedure was also drawn out and took too long to conclude on how the dioxin contamination occured."
