Food and farming minister Jim Paice is urging restaurants, pubs and caterers to tell diners which country their food is from.
Fresh produce bought in store already offers this information, but it is not common practice among caterers.
The appeal from Paice comes 18 months after the food industry introduced voluntary country of origin labelling standards but there has been little action from caterers, he said.
The minister is calling together businesses across the food industry to tackle the issue so that consumers can make informed choices on production methods, environment and quality. He said he will write to the British Hospitality Association asking it to advise its members to provide information on the origin of the main ingredients in meals.
“More than ever, people want to know where their food comes from, so it’s disappointing to see little improvement in the number of food products showing this information,” said Paice. “Origin labelling helps people make informed choices and gives assurances on quality, production methods, and environmental impact. Whether it’s on a label, menu, or given verbally, I want to see all of industry making every effort to provide this information that the consumer has made it clear they want.”
Research,published by the Food Standards Agency , shows that growing numbers of people want country of origin labelling.
Defra will be inviting food businesses to tackle the issue together in a workshop in the autumn. It will also be researching the main barriers preventing caterers from using this sort of labelling.