§ Mr. Alex CarlileTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what plans he has to legislate to ensure that meat processing companies have to label meat according to where the meat originated, rather than where it was transformed into other products; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. SoamesWe have no plans to do so.
Rules on food labelling are harmonised at European Community level and already specifically require the place of origin to be given on food if its omission could mislead the consumer. Where a United Kingdom name is applied to imported products, then the place of origin is required to be given unless the product has undergone processing or treatment in the United Kingdom resulting in a substantial change. I consider that the present rules, together with the Government's initiatives to encourage retailers to provide this information where appropriate, provide sufficient information to enable consumers to make informed choices about the foods they buy.