While the first public priorities are safety, followed by labelling legality and then taste fulfilling expectations, consumers are expecting more claimed Hans-Juergen Matern, vice president of strategic quality management for the Metro Group.

"Consumers already want to know what is behind the label," stressed David Bright, senior advisor to Oxfam in the UK. Such transparency also was extending to concern over sustainability.

Increasingly the social aspect was influencing purchasing patterns, as shoppers wanting to know more about social and environmental aspects such as carbon footprints and welfare.

This has been exemplified by the growth of the Fairtrade label which is currently has total retail sales worth 3.4 billion Euros, covers 27,000 products in 70 countries, and 78 percent public recognition in the UK of its objectives, revealed Ceo Rob Cameron.

Another example has been Marks and Spencer's Filed to Fork initiative, designed to protect and build higher standards, said Hugh Mowat which as believing achieved by what it was influencing back down the distribution chain.

Praising the role of Global GAP which added an extra dimension to its relationships, he added: " "We don't want paperwork without purpose," adding that the multiple operated its own auditing system as we don't expect to pass judgement on our suppliers and then walk away."