Bahrain: Meat traders could soon be forced to put tags on their merchandise identifying their suppliers.
Parliament’s financial and economic affairs committee accepted the proposal submitted by the National Consensus Bloc – but believes more details are required.
It would mean butchers, restaurants and shops selling meat – whether lamb, beef or chicken – would be obliged to provide documentation revealing where it came from.
MP Ali Al Muqla, who is not a member of the bloc, has been at the forefront of meat campaigns in Bahrain.
“People are worried about the meat on sale and whether it is halal, the hygienic conditions it was slaughtered in, besides its source,” he said.
“The Bahrain Livestock Company (BLC) – whether it is the meat it slaughters here or imports chilled – has all the information, but the customers don’t see it as carcasses are removed from the stamped bag – but they can ask about it.”
He said that identifying the source of meat would ease people’s concerns about its origin, especially after some restaurants unfairly increased prices of meat after subsidies were lifted – even though the meat they used was never subsidised in the first place.
“There is confusion going and gaining trust is necessary, so putting tags or identification will ensure calmness,” said Mr Al Muqla.
“It is still a long way for people to start eating meat, which is now expensive after subsidies were axed on October 1 and butchers and people started boycotting, but poultry still remains popular.”
Committee chairman MP Abdulrahman Buali said that even forcing merchants to identify the source of their product had loopholes.
“The supplier could be exporting donkeys, but tag it as lamb on chilled carcasses so there is no way to determine anything,” he said.
Allowance
Four Cabinet ministers will be summoned to parliament next week to be grilled by MPs about plans to lift even more government subsidies.
It follows claims that the government is planning to scrap all public subsidies in the space of a year.
MPs are also due to debate a proposal to double the monthly meat allowance paid to Bahrainis after meat subsidies were stopped on October 1.
mohammed@gdn.com.bh
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