Christmas Turkey NOT Irish

cautiouskate

Just discovered after examining the 'hidden' label that the turkey I purchased for Christmas originated in Poland. I specifically bought it from a well known North Dublin meat company as they claim that all their meat products are 100% Irish. (Mind you, they do not specifically mention turkey). A friend who also purchased in the same outlet was searching for guidance on cooking times when he discovered another label under the retail company's own label, so I retrieved my label from the bin (not a nice job) and guess what?? Anybody know what are the legal requirements for labelling of poultry?

The Hill Billy

Moved from Food & Drink.

HB

BrianD

Even if it was relabelled as "produce of Ireland" it can be a grey area. Products that have any value added in Ireland e.g. packaged can claim then that they are "produced" in Ireland.

Seems that a lot of poultry comes from abroad - chicken can come as far away as Thailand.

I'd take it up with the retailer first. See what they have to say for themselves.

cautiouskate

The top label on the turkey merely states the company name, that it is a full turkey crown and that it was packed on 23rd December. However, the 'hidden' label states that it was produced in Poland for a company in the U.K. who according to their website, source the turkey in Poland and Hungary. My understanding is that EU legislation requires all labels to be in full view and to identify the source of poultry products. At best, I think the company are misleading by their advertising.

Agent_99

http://www.bordbia.ie

Are the quality assurance for foodstuffs produced or prepared in Ireland.

As long as they were not advertising it as Bord Bia approved and that producer is not on the accredited list.

Run_to_da_hills

You are very lucky you didn't end up with a swan.

looksee

There is a loophole in the regulations which means that if you make a significant change to - say - a turkey you can claim it is Irish. So if you buy a Polish turkey and separate the legs from the crown and sell them separately you can repackage them as Irish. But if they are imported as ready packed crowns you cannot just stick another lable on them.

Good luck trying to get anyone to take an interest though!

TheReverend

cautiouskate wrote: »

Just discovered after examining the 'hidden' label that the turkey I purchased for Christmas originated in Poland. I specifically bought it from a well known North Dublin meat company as they claim that all their meat products are 100% Irish. (Mind you, they do not specifically mention turkey). A friend who also purchased in the same outlet was searching for guidance on cooking times when he discovered another label under the retail company's own label, so I retrieved my label from the bin (not a nice job) and guess what?? Anybody know what are the legal requirements for labelling of poultry?

May I just ask, so? If it tasted good who cares?

cautiouskate

Yes it didn't taste too bad but I DO care. I would not have bought it if I had known it wasn't Irish produced and I feel the retailers took a cheap shot at their customers as they usually advertise all their other products as being 100% Irish produced. I feel that an awful lot of their customers would have bought their turkey on that basis!!

cautiouskate

If anyone is interested!! I returned to the retailer after the Christmas about the turkey. He informed me that 60% of their customers had got Irish turkeys and they were let down by an Irish turkey producer for the other 40% due to the logistics of getting them to Dublin from Kildare in the bad weather??? He says they had to source the turkeys through an English company and they managed to get them to Holyhead from the far side of the U.K. to be collected in Dublin. I asked why they hadn't informed the customers and why they had concealed the labels identifying turkey as being from Poland and Hungary. He said the labels had been slapped on at the last minute!! Not true they were very carefully put on over the other labels. He also admitted that none of their poultry is Irish though their pork, beef and lamb is!! I did not believe one word he said about the turkey and I will not be buying ANYTHING there again!!

Sup08

looksee wrote: »

There is a loophole in the regulations which means that if you make a significant change to - say - a turkey you can claim it is Irish. So if you buy a Polish turkey and separate the legs from the crown and sell them separately you can repackage them as Irish. But if they are imported as ready packed crowns you cannot just stick another lable on them.

Good luck trying to get anyone to take an interest though!

You cannot repackage something as Irish by merely removing part of the meat and packing it at two differnet products as described here.
The law is very clear on food labeling when it comes to fresh products.
If a company removes the legs from a piece of fresh poultry and repackages them as chicken legs the country of origin must be clearly marked on the lable. But if the company bones the legs, applies breadcrumbs and partially cooks the product, this is a complete change to the original state of the product but it can only be labeled PRODUCED in Ireland and not labelled as an Irish product.

the groutch

I still don't think the label saying it was Polish was as "hidden" as he/she is making it out to be.

dudara

This is an old thread - therefore closed.

dudara