Campaigners push mandatory ‘method of production’ labelling post-Brexit

The RSPCA said such labelling would reward those farmers who are prepared to invest in higher welfare systems and help create a brand of quality British food
The RSPCA said such labelling would reward those farmers who are prepared to invest in higher welfare systems and help create a brand of quality British food

A mandatory ‘method of production’ labelling will help UK meet ‘gold standard’ aims as well as benefit farm animal welfare post-Brexit, according to the RSPCA.

Such labelling should be mandatory for all animal products in the UK if the government is serious about better animal welfare post-Brexit, the charity claims.

According to research, shoppers want to buy higher-welfare products. However, a lack of clear labelling can mean they are left confused or unsure whether what they are buying is of a standard they expect.

Eight out of ten (83%) UK shoppers want compulsory method of production labelling - currently found only on whole eggs and egg boxes - to be extended to all meat and dairy products, according to a 2013 survey by QA Research.

A 2017 YouGov survey revealed that 8 out of 10 (77%) UK shoppers said they would be encouraged to buy higher welfare products if there was consistent labelling across meat and dairy products.

And a 2018 YouGov survey revealed that two-thirds (67%) of British people believed that food produced using methods prohibited in the UK - such as foie gras - should not be allowed into the UK after Brexit.

According to the RSPCA, mandatory method of production could also support farmers who are already producing to higher standards, but have no means to differentiate their product in the market due to current ambiguous labelling terms.

It would also reward those farmers who are prepared to invest in higher welfare systems and help create a brand of quality British food as the Government negotiates new trade deals and market access post-Brexit.

However, some farm groups are concerned that any move to introduce the labelling could 'mislead' consumers and become too 'complex'.

For example, the British pig sector already uses an established voluntary Code of Practice which defines several terms related to pig production methods, such as ‘outdoor bred’, ‘outdoor reared’ and ‘free range’. These are widely used by retailers on pork product labels.

National Pig Association (NPA) senior policy advisor, Georgina Crayford said: “There is already good consistency in the use of production method labels on pork and this information is available for those consumers that are interested.

“The Red Tractor logo is also a useful indication to consumers that the product they are purchasing has been produced in Britain and can be fully traced back to the farm.

“Pig production systems employed in the UK are highly diverse and difficult to categorise into simple terms. For example, a pig may be born outside and then reared in different types of indoor accommodation at different stages.”

The NPA says that whilst its important to point out that terms related to production method can be useful for giving an indication of how an animal has been reared, they should not be “used as a proxy” for animal welfare.

The NPA believes it would be better to focus on improving awareness of existing labels, before looking at extending further labelling requirements through law.