Food labelling: EFRA report backs CLA

The Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (EFRA) Select Committee’s new report fully vindicates the CLA’s Just Ask campaign that calls for far more effective country-of-origin labelling.

One of the key objectives of the Just Ask campaign, which seeks to encourage the consumer to ask where the food on their plate comes from when eating out, is the introduction of country-of-origin labelling rules for the food supply chain and, in particular, the food service sector.

CLA President Henry Aubrey-Fletcher said: "For the last two years, the CLA has consistently called for imported food products to be produced to the extremely high welfare and environmental standards we have in the UK. At a time when UK farmers and niche food marketers are finding it increasingly difficult to compete with imports of food products, particularly pork products, due to the high costs involved in domestic production, the Government must act to support the industry.

"We all know and recognise the quality of local and regional produce. The Government now has the unique opportunity to put in place a coherent country-of-origin labelling framework so that the consumer knows exactly where the food they are eating comes from and can make a responsible choice."

The CLA President added: "We have said for some time now that there needs to be greater transparency in the food chain. This is now more important than ever and is backed up by the Efra Select Committee’s calls for more effective country-of-origin labelling. Now is the time to act."