UK Wins Food Fight
by Patricia Montgomery, LincsMag Writer.
Date: 01 December 2011
Food labelling will be clearer, simpler and more honest following heavy lobbying in Europe by the UK.
This victory for the United Kingdom and common sense means that it will be far easier for consumers to know what’s in the food that they are buying.
Honest Labelling
Following a key vote, the European Union (EU) agreed to make it compulsory for manufacturers and retailers to clearly state:
1) The country of origin of fresh and frozen meat;
2) If any of the main ingredients in foods claiming British origin are actually imported;
3) If there is more than five per cent water content in cuts of meat such as bacon;
4) Nutritional labelling on the back of packs;
5) The types of vegetable oils used – such as palm oil;
6) Information in an agreed minimum sized font;
7) Allergen information for unpackaged food, including in restaurants; and
8) High caffeine drinks will require additional labelling.
And There's More...
The EU has also agreed:
* To make it easier for alcohol companies to voluntarily include calorie information;
* To set out voluntarily criteria for front of pack nutrition labelling on pre-packed food and drink; and
* To enable voluntary provision of calorie information in out of home settings.
British Traditions
Britain has also protected its traditional practice of selling by numbers – such as a dozen bread rolls or eggs – and imperial measures, from daft EU plans to require metric weights on all products, thanks to strong sensible lobbying. This is an area that LincsMag strongly supported as it does against any outside interference to our customs, culture and way of life.
Fought Long and Hard
Environment Secretary Caroline Spelman said: "We’ve fought long and hard for more honest labelling so that consumers can make up their own minds about what they eat. Shoppers will now be absolutely sure that if meat claims to be British, it will be British – reared to the high standards they’d expect.
"We've also protected what we already hold dear. Selling eggs or bread rolls by the dozen, and using imperial measures like pints, are great British traditions that we all know and love, and there was no way I was going to let them be put at risk."
Health Secretary Andrew Lansley said, "We have led the way in nutritional labelling, pioneering voluntary labelling in the UK
"This regulation will now ensure that everyone will have the information they need to make an informed choice about what they eat and help them make healthier choices."
Nice to know some commonsense has prevailed for a change, and not before time!
