Expansion of traditional food list stirs heated row

Date: 02/11/1995

DANISH liver pâté, meatballs and Swedish fruit syrup threaten to become a cause of friction between the European Commission and MEPs.

Should they, or should they not, be classified as foodstuffs made according to traditional methods and processes like German beer, French baguette and Greek feta?

The European Parliament's environment committee examining a report from French Christian Democrat MEP Françoise Grossetête believes they should be.

It decided this week to add them to the special list of traditional products in which member states are allowed to ban the use of additives. The best known of these is German beer produced according to the centuries-old Rheinheitsgebot.

When the Commission originally asked member states to nominate their special traditional products, it was flooded with a list of 300 items from nine countries - of which the majority were cheeses, prepared meats and spirits.

It accepted just eight of them, including Austrian bergkäse (mountain cheese) and Finnish mämmi (dessert).

Neither Italy nor Spain replied to the Commission's requests for further information about their traditional foods and some had expected both countries to try to use the parliamentary procedure to add their specialities to the list.

It remains to be seen whether the Commission will accept the latest additions.

The committee's amendments, which also insist that foodstuffs made by traditional methods should be clearly labelled, will be examined by MEPs in December.

The draft text states that emphasis on traditional methods should not prevent the sale of food with additives.