Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps her Department is taking to introduce fair food labelling to provide clear information on sourcing and production.

Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

The UK maintains high standards on the information that is provided on food labels so that consumers can have confidence in the food that they buy. All food sold on the UK market must comply with food labelling rules, which include the requirement for specific information to be presented in a specific way.

Food origin information is mandatory for some, but not all foods. In all cases where origin is provided, it must not be misleading. We continue to review origin labelling using comprehensive evidence to ensure clear and transparent labelling for consumers.

As set out in the Government’s animal welfare strategy, we are committed to ensuring that consumers have access to clear information on how their food was produced. To support this, we will work with stakeholders to explore how improved animal welfare food labelling could provide greater consumer transparency, support farmers and promote better animal welfare.