Paice renews call for honest food labelling
29 January 2009
Shadow Agriculture Minister Jim Paice has renewed the Conservative’s demand for country of origin food labelling.
Speaking ahead of Jamie Oliver’s documentary on pig welfare, Mr Paice commented:
“Two-thirds of imported pig meat might have been reared in conditions banned in this country but the Government allows it to be labelled as British. Sausages made from imported pig meat but labelled as ‘Lincolnshire’ or ‘Cumberland’ are clearly designed to mislead the consumer. This unacceptable deception sustains cruel methods of production at the expense of British farmers who are often struggling to make ends meet.
“Enabling informed consumer choice is the key to driving up standards of animal welfare and supporting British farmers. The Government must drop the excuses for inaction and implement clear food labelling which leaves consumers in no doubt about what they are buying and where it comes from.”