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Written question asked by Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick (Labour) on Monday, 5 October 2026, in the House of Lords. It was due for an answer on Monday, 19 October 2026. It was answered by Baroness Hayman of Ullock (Labour) on Tuesday, 13 October 2026 on behalf of the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.

Meat Products: Northern Ireland

Question

To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure the verification of the origin of meat ingredients in composite and prepared foods, including burgers, sausages, nuggets, pies, sandwiches and ready meals, that are moved from Great Britain to Northern Ireland.

Answer

Rest of World meat and composite meat products, subject to animal and plant health rules, have country of origin requirements, regardless of how they enter Northern Ireland. These requirements are verified by standard movement procedures before entering Northern Ireland.

The Northern Ireland Retail Movement Scheme (NIRMS) is designed to ensure that retail food products that move from Great Britain (GB) to Northern Ireland do not move on to the European Union. Products moved outside of NIRMS require certificates to show they can move into the EU.

Where a product is transformed and sufficiently processed in GB, GB is the origin of the product for the purpose of NIRMS, regardless of the origin of the individual ingredients.

Secondary information

Type
Written question
Reference
HL3861
Session
2026-27
Grouped for answer
Yes
Subjects
Northern Ireland Meat products UK internal trade
Link
View this Written question on www.parliament.uk