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Joint Committee on the Secondary Legislation of the European Communities debate -
Wednesday, 7 Mar 1979

Water Content of Frozen and Deep-Frozen Fowl Carcases.

This is a very short report. The Community has already adopted a regulation dealing with the water content of frozen and deep-frozen fowl carcases and the previous Committee made a report in 1976. At that stage it was only in proposal form. The present proposals deal only with the methods to be used in determining the water content. Apparently there are two methods: one is known as the Danish method and the other the German method. Up to now member states had a choice of which method to use but the proposal of the Commission is that the Danish method be used in future. We have already opted for this method and the adoption of the Commission's report will not present problems for us.

Deputy Leonard

I propose the adoption of the report. It does not seriously affect us because the water content of fowl here is lower than in other countries.

Discussion of this matter went on for years. It was mainly the Dutch who held it up because they had what they called a spin-chiller and this enabled them to sell about 15 per cent of water at good poultry meat prices. It was very difficult to get them to relinquish this, at least until the machinery itself was spun out. That went on for a long time.

It is important to emphasise that the level in Ireland is below the level recommended.

Deputy Leonard

That was one of the points our poultry producers always made, that they were exporting meat content while other countries were exporting water content. It was one of the anomalies they complained about previously.

Paragraphs 1 to 4, inclusive, agreed to.

Draft Report agreed to.

Ordered: To report accordingly.

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