We know that consumers value clear and simple food labelling.
She writes:
A raft of European labelling advice became law in April 2015, meaning the rules on origin, allergen andnutrition information changed.
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Under the new legislation, on-pack labelling of unprocessed meat (sheep, pigs, goat and poultry) now has to declare where the animal was born, reared and slaughtered. Crucially, “origin” can be stated on pack only if every part of the animal’s life occurred within the same member state.
So the regulations covered unprocessed meat, but what about other types of lightly processed food, such as bacon or cheese?
While the European Commission looked into making origin information mandatory for more processed products, it eventually decided against the measure. And it may be some time before they revisit their decision.
Currently, under the new regulations, a portion of meat that has been, for example, simply seasoned, or coated, will not need to carry any country of origin information at all. Is this really the best way to keep consumers informed about the provenance of their food?
Shoppers would rightly feel misled if cheese, butter cream and yogurts were labelled as “British” but not made from British milk. They would probably feel just as let down if there was no origin information on the pack at all.
If there is commercial advantage in claiming British provenance, then this must be for the benefit of the British farming industry.
How can we expect shoppers – 85% of who say they want to see more British food on supermarket shelves – to choose to buy British if the information on pack is not clear?
The NFU has always been supportive ofThe Voluntary Labelling Principals which were set down by industry five years ago. The principalswere designed to prevent spurious origin claims, and the misleading use of flags and marketing material, on the lightly processed products that the new mandatory regulations do not cover.
Now is the time to revisit the food labelling guidelines, and encourage thewider supply chain to get behind them, and the foodservice industry to provide their diners with the information that retailers strive to provide.
If there is commercial advantage in claiming British provenance, then this must be for the benefit of the British farming industry.
Following continued NFU lobbying, we are pleased to say that Defra has committed to update, clarify and extend the scope of the voluntary labelling guidelines so they, amongst other things, reach the foodservice industry and online shopping market – in-line with the NFU position.