Food group PFLA spearheads coalition demanding clear and honest food labeling
UK Consortium Advocates for Transparent Food Labelling
A new consortium, CLEAR (Consortium for Labelling for the Environment, Animal Welfare, and Regenerative Farming), is pushing for mandatory, transparent, and verifiable food production labelling in the UK. The consortium, which includes the PFLA, the Sustainable Food Trust, Compassion in World Farming, the Soil Association, the Nature-Friendly Farming Network, and Sustain, among others, aims to empower consumers with reliable information about the environmental and ethical attributes of food production.
The CLEAR manifesto advocates for a labelling system that requires independent assessment and verifiable benchmarking against key metrics. This system would have clear, accessible presentation on food packages, providing consumers with a comprehensive understanding of the food they are purchasing.
The proposed labelling system would address concerns about current regulations, such as the 'grass-fed' labeling which allows for up to 51% grass-feeding. The consortium argues that such regulations can be misleading and do not adequately represent the environmental and animal welfare standards of the food production process.
The consortium's ultimate goal is to establish mandatory method of production labelling with adequate enforcement mechanisms for all foods, including imports. This would enhance current labelling frameworks by incorporating broader sustainability and welfare criteria backed by verifiable standards.
Fidelity Weston, consortium and PFLA chair, expresses support for the government's commitment to review food labelling regulations. Weston welcomes the opportunity to work closely with government agencies to achieve improvements in food labelling.
A consumer survey carried out by the PFLA in 2017 showed that 93% of respondents agreed or strongly agreed that current food labelling needs to be changed. The consortium believes that developing clear accessible food labels identifying method of production will meet consumer demand for greater transparency.
Other like-minded organizations can contact Fidelity Weston at [email protected] to add their support. The consortium's efforts align with current trends in UK food policy discussions favoring clear, consistent labelling that is independently verifiable to prevent misleading claims and promote sustainability.
References: [1] UK Government Food Labelling Regulations (https://www.gov.uk/guidance/food-labelling-rules)
Note: This article is based on the facts provided in the bullet points, and the interpretations and connections are made to present a cohesive and informative news article. The specific text of the CLEAR manifesto is not directly available in the search results.
- The CLEAR consortium, focusing on animal welfare and regenerative farming, intends to integrate science to establish a labelling system that clearly illustrates the health-and-wellness and environmental attributes of food-and-drink products.
- Weston, the chair of the consortium, emphasizes the need for food labels that identify the method of production, aiming to bring transparency in line with the lifestyle preferences of modern consumers.
- Recognizing the rising demand for greater food-labelling transparency, the consortium calls for a broader scrutiny of science-backed sustainability criteria in both domestic and imported food products.
