Unprocessed chicken which is sold loose and which has been imported from outside the EU will have to bear the label of the country of origin from today.
The Minister for Agriculture and Food, Mr Walsh, last night announced that he was implementing the new regulations as customers are entitled to as much information as possible on what they are purchasing.
The tightening up of the regulations on the sale of poultry meat from outside the Union came as 10 countries in Asia have come together to fight the outbreak of chicken 'flu which has already caused at least a dozen deaths there.
The labelling of chicken from outside the EU which is pre-packed, is already mandatory under current regulations.
A statement from the Minister said the initiative followed on from the recommendations of the Food Labelling Group and the recent survey into consumer preferences in regard to origin labelling.
According to the Minister's office consumers had the right to information about the food products being offered for sale so they can make informed choices about purchases.