John Stevenson, MP for Carlisle, and Chair of the Food and Drink Manufacturing APPG, has welcomed proposals to improve transparency in food labelling to make sure British food stands out from the crowd.
Speaking at the Oxford Farming Conference last week, Environment Secretary Steve Barclay said,
“British farmers take pride in producing food that meets, and often exceeds, our world leading animal welfare and environmental standards. British consumers want to buy this top quality food, but too often products produced to lower standards overseas aren’t clearly labelled to differentiate them.
That is why I am proud to announce that we will consult on clearer food labelling so that we can tackle the unfairness created by misleading labelling and protect farmers and consumers.”
Welcoming the announcement John said, “We must back our rural communities and ensure farmers get a fair deal for continuing to produce high standard food. Many consumers like to buy British as they have confidence in a trusted brand. It is important that people can make informed decisions at the supermarket and poorer quality products that do not meet UK welfare standards are highlighted for all to see.”