While some food products bought in stores are beginning to offer this information, many caterers have not yet taken on the challenge.
The appeal from Jim Paice comes 18 months after the food industry introduced voluntary country of origin labelling standards, but there has been little action from caterers and no overall improvement on foods in shops, with some manufacturers actually providing less information.
He is calling for businesses across the food industry to tackle this issue so that consumers can make informed choices on production methods, environment and quality.
Paice 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.”
In 2011, Defra analysed labels on more than 500 meat and dairy products bought from the major retailers and a number of independent shops. The 2012 survey shows that the number of products labelled with country of origin …
Source: Defra
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