Europe has moved a step closer to clear country-of-origin food labelling after lobbying from the National Farmers’ Union (NFU) in Brussels.
The European Parliament Environment and Consumer Protection Committee has voted in favour of requiring country of origin to be labelled on fresh fruit and vegetables as well as meat, poultry and dairy products.
NFU deputy president Meurig Raymond said: “This is a significant victory and I would like to thank UK MEPs from all parties for their invaluable support. However, much more work needs to be done before the full vote later this year. There is still a long way to go and I’m sure the change to labelling rules will be challenged strongly by others in the EU. It is clear the current guidelines aren’t working so it’s essential that we try and keep country-of-origin labelling high on the agenda.
“Labelling needs to provide accurate, clear and relevant information so consumers can make an informed choice. People buying meat and dairy products want to know where the animal was reared so they know exactly what they are getting. Consumers also want consistency in labelling across all sectors and deserve not to be misled. We believe there is no reason why mandatory country-of- origin labelling should not be extended to the remaining sectors, as well as to the main ingredients of semi-processed foods.”
