§ 10. Ms Corstonto ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what recent representations she has had regarding the labelling of food.
§ Mr. SoamesRepresentations have recently been sought and received on a variety of proposals to improve food labelling law or guidelines. We take very seriously the need for food to be properly labelled.
§ Ms CorstonWill the Minister admit that there is a big hole in the food labelling programme, particularly in animal welfare labelling? Does the Minister agree that shoppers should be able to see at a glance how the products being offered have been produced? Is not it ridiculous, for instance, that although there are regulations that lay down ways in which farm-fresh and new-laid eggs may be described as "barn eggs" and "fresh eggs", battery eggs can be described as "country fresh" and "farm-fresh"? Why is it that battery eggs can be so misleadingly described? Surely we should be protecting the highest standards and not defending the lowest. Will the Minister strike a blow for consumer choice by introducing that accurate scheme?
§ Mr. SoamesOur policy is to require comprehensive food labelling so that consumers can make informed choices about the foods they purchase, but we cannot force them to read the labels. The point raised by the hon. Lady about welfare labelling has been raised before. There is already so much information on labels that it is difficult to know how more can be included—for example, what is it, who made it, what does it contain, how long can it be kept, how is it kept and used and where is it from? I take the hon. Lady's point and will have another look at that proposal, but I do not think that it is a runner.