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Get your free copy23 September 2016, 09:37 AM
- In a letter to Andrea Leadsom, Defra secretary of State the NFU, NFU Cymru, NFU Scotland and National Pig Association have expressed the need for origin labelling on British products and have noted concerns over the loss of food name protection, which includes Stilton cheese, as the UK negotiates a new deal with the EU post-Brexit
The organisations state that origin labelling will give shoppers more choice and confidence when buying British food. They claim that it could usher in a potential increase in transparency in the supply chain.
A joint statement said, “More needs to be done to make labelling clearer. The French government is now implementing a two-year trial of country of origin labelling for meat and milk in processed products, while other European governments have outlined their plans to implement country of origin labelling for processed foods.
“It’s important to stress that we do want to see the continued use of food name protections in the UK that guarantees authenticity and origin and prevents imitation products from using the name. This includes some of the UK’s most famous foods, such as Stilton cheese.
“We believe the use of the European Protected Geographical Indication (PGI), Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) and Traditional Speciality Guaranteed (TSG) have been vital in protecting food provenance in the marketplace.”
