Trade Ministry: Butchers Must Show Price, Origin Of Imported Meat To Consumers

Trade Ministry ordered the butchers to place billboards that show the price of imported fresh meat and its origin, with the separation of imported and locally produced meat, in order to protect consumers and give them freedom of choice.

Instructions of the Trade Minister, Abdelmadjid Tebboune, according to a statement of the Trade Ministry, on Wednesday, meat vendors, whether in the butcher shops or the major commercial centers and other places that are allocated to selling meat, consumers should be informed of prices by putting price plates, the type of meat whether it is locally produced or imported, with showing the origin, in order to ensure that consumers are protected and provided with clear and verified information for the free choice of meat, with the separation of local and imported meat.

These instructions are part of a series of measures that are taken recently by the Trade Ministry to ensure the provision of fresh meat to consumers, especially as the month of Ramadan approaches, as the importation of frozen meat was reduced to maintain the health of consumers. 

Joint Ministerial Committee in charge of granting import licenses granted 19 licenses to import 20,000 tons of fresh red meat in the first stage, and 50% of this quantity will be imported from Spain, and the rest will be imported from France, Italy, Brazil and New Zealand. Noting that since the beginning of the year, over 17,000 tons of red meat were imported through import licenses that were granted in 2016.

Zaki Ahriz, head of the Consumer Protection Federation, said the separation of local and imported meat is very necessary in terms of consumer protection. He called on the Trade Ministry to activate the monitoring bodies and punish the traffickers who violate the order.

 “Prices of fresh meat will decrease during the month of Ramadan, due to the abundance of local production, and the granting of import licenses”.