• You want more than the minimum legal requirements
• You want a 'Highway Code' to 'drive' the production of your beef and lamb in the best possible way
• You want to be informed accurately so like the 'Highway Code' the 'Product Standard' is written down

• Northern Ireland Farm Quality Assurance means that the highest European production methods are used by farmers to ensure uncompromising food safety, high animal welfare and care for the environment.
• The Northern Ireland Farm Quality Assurance Scheme guarantees you quality, safety and traceability.
• A specified Product Standard which goes beyond the minimum legislation and demands 'best practice' has to be met by producers (farmers) if they are to be approved and become members of the Northern Ireland Farm Quality Assurance Scheme. The Standard includes 82 separate Codes of Practice.
• Producers are regularly inspected by an independent Product Certification Body to ensure they conform to the Standard.

• a high quality of welfare for animals
• animals cared for by competent stockpersons
• housing for animals that is clean and comfortable
• wholesome animal feed, free of animal products and catering waste
• health plans for animals so that they are free of medicine residues
• bio-security for farms to avoid introducing disease
• procedures in place for dealing with emergencies
• compassionate handling and transport of animals to avoid stress
• neat and tidy farms that avoid polluting the environment
• you want your beef and lamb to be fully traceable back to the farm

Many retailers have a requirement for farm assurance in their buying specification, but not all of them declare it on product packs or at the point of sale.

If you can't find the logo - ask if your beef/lamb is farm quality assured - it's a clear indicator of quality

For more consumer information and full details about the Northern Ireland Farm Quality Assurance Scheme please log on to the Livestock " Meat Commission's website www.lmcni.com or alternatively phone the following number: 028 9263 3000.

We all want to know that the quality and safety of the food we eat is as good as it can be. A new labelling scheme has been introduced with the purpose of providing consumers with reliable information about the beef they buy. A key requirement of the scheme is that beef and lamb can be traced back to where it originated, so that claims regarding how and where it was produced can be checked. These changes to labelling are set out in Europe-wide legislation and are designed to allow you to make an informed choice based on accurate and verifiable information.

As a minimum, the following information must appear on beef labels

• A reference number or code that would allow the beef and lamb to be traced back to the animal or batch of animals from which it was derived.
• The country of birth of the animal.
• The country or countries where the animal was reared.
• The country where slaughter took place (along with approved slaughter licence number).
• The country where cutting took place (along with approved cutting plant licence number).

If the country of birth, rearing and slaughter is the same than the label may simply state 'country of origin.'

In the case of minced beef the label must contain:

• Country of preparation.
• Country of origin (if this is not the same as country of preparation).

If the meat comes from outside the European Union, then all of the above information may not be available. If this is the case the label must state:

• Origin: Non - EC.
• Country of Slaughter.