New labelling initiative is a step in the right direction, says NFU

New guidelines to ensure accurate country of origin labelling on British meat and dairy products are a step in the right direction, the NFU said today.

The Principles on Country of Origin Information document has been developed by the trade bodies of the food manufacturing, retailing, commercial catering and hospitality sectors and is backed by the Government. It will apply to fresh meat and processed meat products, such as bacon, sausages, ham, as well as the main dairy products, including milk, fresh cream, cheese and butter.

NFU chief science and regulatory affairs adviser Helen Ferrier said: The NFU has been lobbying for many years, both in the UK and in Europe, for action on country of origin labelling on meat and dairy products. Todays initiative is a positive move and a significant step by the retail, manufacturing and hospitality sectors and they should be applauded. The onus is now on them to take the lead and give consumers the information they need so they can be confident that when they choose to buy British, that is what they will get.

Our only question is whether this will genuinely have a sustained and noticeable impact on origin labelling. Unless all companies sign up and then consistently stick to their promises, some consumers will still be misled.

We will continue to fight for European labelling law to be tightened and will keep a close eye on the progress of this scheme. We also look forward to seeing the results of Defra’s evaluation of the effectiveness of this voluntary approach, due out in April next year.