Country-of-origin labelling is not a main concern for UK consumers when shopping, according to the Food Standards Agency (FSA).
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Research published by the agency today (14 January) found that consumers remain “confused” about whether origin labelling refers to where animals are born, raised and slaughtered or where the food was produced.
Tim Smith, chief executive of the FSA, said: “This research shows that even though “country of origin” isn’t a top priority for consumers, confusion remains over what “Produced in the UK” actually means. The issue is not about more origin labelling but the need for greater clarity on the labels on some of our most popular foods.”
When asked which foods on which consumers would like to see origin labelling, the majority mentioned meat and meat products.
However, price and food safety information on labels were considered by consumers to be, on the whole, more important than country of origin.
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By GlobalDataAround 78% of meat and meat products now carry a country-of-origin statement, compared with 69% in 2005. Around 44% of meat products now give the origin of meat ingredients – this has more than doubled since 2005 when only 19% of products gave this information.
“European labelling rules being proposed will require businesses that make origin claims to provide further information, so that people will know where their food actually comes from, not just where it was processed,” Smith said.
“In the meantime, we believe that the willingness of food businesses to take account of our guidance in their labelling practices has improved the information available to consumers and we will continue to encourage uptake and, in discussion with food businesses, identify any barriers to providing this information,” he added.
