The pig sector has raised concerns with Defra's plans for changes to food labelling regulations as they could have 'significant implications' for the pork supply chain.
Defra has published a consultation with proposals to deliver more clarity on country of origin labelling, alongside a five-tier method of production labelling system.
It also looks at how to improve country of origin labelling for certain goods, including how and where this information is displayed and what products should be included.
Defra said it wants to address a situation where, for example, imported pork is cured into bacon in the UK and features a Union Jack, by exploring ways to make it more obvious to consumers that the pig was reared abroad,
The consultation, which closes for responses on 7 May, also sets out proposals to require ‘method of production’ labelling on pork, chicken and eggs.
However, Defra pulled back from plans to consult on a tiered labelling system linked to method of production last year.
This was in response to concerted opposition from within the supply chain over the cost and complexity of the plans and fears they could mislead consumers over welfare claims.
The National Pig Association (NPA) was part of a widespread coalition of industry bodies that opposed these plans when raised previously by Defra.
NPA chief executive, Lizzie Wilson said: “We will need to see the full details of what is being proposed before giving our verdict on whether they are workable and are likely to achieve their goals.
“The principle of greater transparency and clearer labelling to differentiate high quality British product from inferior imports, of course, has merit.
"The questions are going to be around how this is delivered in practice, without adding unnecessary costs.”
On the method of production labelling proposals, Ms Wilson said that it had to be meaningful for consumers.
"It could be very difficult to do this reliably for pigs, given that different parts of the carcase can go into many different markets," she explained.
"There are real concerns over the cost and complexity that the requirement would add into the supply chain.
“We also need to avoid falling into the trap of claiming one system is automatically better than another – method of production is not an indication of good or poor welfare.
"We would also question how this could be reliably applied to imports.”
What is Defra proposing?
The government is seeking views on options for changing origin labelling, including:?
• Mandatory origin labelling for minimally processed meat products, such as bacon
• Increased visibility of origin labelling
• Mandatory origin labelling for certain foods in the out of home sector, for example cafes and restaurants
• Greater control of the use of national flags on labels.
The consultation also sets out proposals to require ‘method of production’ labelling on pork, chicken and eggs. These include:
• A mandatory label for both domestic and imported products with five tiers to differentiate between products that fall below, meet and exceed relevant baseline UK animal welfare regulations.
• The label would cover pork, chicken and eggs. Labelling for dairy, beef and sheep meat will be kept under review, subject to further consultation.
• This would apply to all unprocessed pork, chicken and eggs and certain prepacked and loose minimally processed products with pork, chicken or egg.
