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There is a great deal of information on beef labels. Importantly there must be information on where the beef comes from. If you purchase Scotch Beef the code should start with the number one. In total there are three compulsory codes which indicate where the beef comes from.

1. The country of slaughter and license number

All licensed Scottish Processor codes start with the number 1. If you purchase Scotch Beef the code should start with the number 1, as all Scotch Beef must be slaughtered in Scotland.

2. The country of origin

For example UK for United Kingdom, BR for Brazil and IRL for Republic of Ireland.

3. The country of cutting

The number of the plant where the beef is cut must also be shown on the label. Scotch Beef however can be packed outwith Scotland.

What information is compulsory?
The animal's country of birth, the country or countries where it was reared, the country of slaughter and cutting - along with the approved license numbers. If the country of birth, rearing and slaughter is the same, the label may simply state “country of origin”.

Are there any exceptions?
The labeling regulations only cover fresh and frozen beef. They do not apply to lamb, pork or venison. Most products with added ingredients e.g. Beef Wellington, peppered steak etc, are not covered. Also mince will only show a batch number for identification purposes.

Quality Assurance | Character | Traceability | Product Labelling