Conservatives call for more 'honest' food labelling

Under current rules, meat imported from abroad and then processed in Britain – and turned into products like bacon, sausages and pies – can be labelled British. The aim of the 'Honest Food' campaign is to get compulsory 'country of origin' labelling introduced, so that meat products that are labelled British can only come from animals born and bred in Britain. Shadow environment secretary Nick Herbert said: "People have a right to know where their food comes from. Meat labelled 'British' should be born and bred in Britain, raised to our high welfare standards." The Tories say that clearer labelling will: - Allow consumers to make informed choices about the food they buy - Prevent non-British meat being labelled as British - Support British producers by allowing consumers to identify genuine British meat; - Promote superior British produce by highlighting the advantages of British produce - Restore trust and confidence in British food and labelling in general