CONSUMERS in Gwent will soon be able to see where the beef they are buying has come from.

Food officers in the five local authorities are helping butchers, meat wholesalers and shop managers prepare to comply with new European laws.

Under the new beef- labelling laws shoppers must be able to see where the beef they are buying originated, slaughtered and packaged.

The labelling can either be on the meat or on a chart on the wall of a butcher's shop. A seminar for meat sellers was recently was held at County Hall Cwmbran to explain what they will have to do to comply with the new laws.

Steve Whitehouse, Torfaen council's head of Trading Standards and chair of the Food and Agricultural Standard Panel in Wales, said: "Consumers need to know what they can expect to see in the next few weeks.

"The new legislation means when you buy meat it can be traced back to where it was born. But it is equally important for us to speak to butchers and the recent seminar gave us that opportunity. We will now be visiting them individually to answer any questions."