New Bill to introduce country of origin labelling

The Bill, introduced by Conservative MP Richard Bacon, aims to provide consumers with the information they need to make informed decisions about the food they buy.

Bacon said that 40% of imported pork products had been processes under animal welfare standards that would be unlawful in this country.

He added that consumers are being “misled” when they buy items that producers claim have been manufactured in the UK but have been imported from elsewhere.

“Country of origin labelling already exists for beef, and I believe it should be extended to cover other fresh meat. There are more complex issues in the labelling of processes meat and dairy products, where the sourcing frequently varies,” Bacon told the Commons.

“Modern labelling technology has improved considerably in recent years, and I am persuaded that it would now be easier for processed food manufacturers to comply with country of origin labelling requirements than it was in the past.”

However, an FDF spokesman told Packaging News: “We support the existing requirements of the Food Labelling Regulations 1996 but the idea of extending it to composites would be burdensome to achieve, would complicate labels and would not be practical because the composite ingredients often change, making it costly.”

The Bill will be read for a second time on 7 November.

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