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

To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they will consider introducing mandatory labelling of meat products to show country of origin, method of production and method of slaughter.

We are currently considering how to build on existing regulations and voluntary principles to increase the food information available, improve consumer transparency and help consumers identify high-quality British food.

Mandatory country of origin labelling is already in place for meats, including: beef, veal, pork, sheep, goat and poultry. There are no rules in place for processed meat products, but this is often done on a voluntary basis.

Mandatory labelling for method of production for meat products needs to be weighed against the costs involved for businesses, which could be significant. Legislation already provides scope for producers to voluntarily label their products, and a number of assurance schemes are also in place. Consumers that have a preference for a particular farming method can therefore readily find meat products labelled with information to inform their choice.

There are currently no specific rules covering the method of slaughter labelling for meat products. We welcomed the findings of last year’s European report into the labelling of meat and religious slaughter, and will assess any proposals that come forward from the EU Commission. Any voluntary labelling must be accurate and not mislead consumers.

We will give further consideration to labelling issues in the context of the UK’s exit from the EU.