PFLA leads new consortium asking for CLEAR and transparent food labelling
The PFLA is leading a newly established Consortium of civil society, farming and food organisations, called CLEAR – the Consortium for Labelling for the Environment, Animal Welfare and Regenerative Farming.
The collaborating members include the Sustainable Food Trust, Compassion in World Farming, the Soil Association, the Nature-Friendly Farming Network and Sustain.
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There are also some supportive partner organisations including the British Dietetic Association, Farms to Feed Us, the Food, Farming and Countryside Commission, Organic Farmers and Growers, Rare Breeds Survival Trust and Equilibrium Markets Ltd.
The consortium has drawn up a manifesto which outlines a shared vision for the need for transparent and verifiable mandatory method of production labelling for food products sold in the UK.
“We are pleased that the Government has given a commitment to review food labelling regulations,” says consortium and PFLA chair Fidelity Weston. “We would welcome the opportunity to work closely with Government agencies to achieve this substantive improvement to the current arrangements.
“We believe that developing clear accessible food labels that identify method of production, will respond to the consumer’s desire for greater transparency over how their food is produced.”
Ultimately, the consortium would like to see:
- Mandatory method of production labelling with adequate enforcement mechanisms for all foods, including imports
- Independent assessment requiring verifiable benchmarking against key metrics
- Clear accessible presentation (ie on package)
The Consortium also believes this will help deliver against the Government`s 25-Year Environment Plan promise to “become the first generation to leave the environment in a better state than we found it, and pass on to the next generation a natural environment protected and enhanced for the future”.
Grass-fed labelling
The PFLA has always argued that current labelling regulations, which mean that the term ‘grass-fed’ can be used to describe meat and dairy products that are ‘predominantly fed on grass, ie which can be just 51% grass-fed, are misleading. A consumer survey carried out by the PFLA in 2017, showed how 93% of respondents agreed or strongly agreed, that this needs to be changed.
The PFLA is delighted to be joining force with an impressive consortium of organisations all working towards a common aim. Other like-minded organisations would also be welcomed and can contact Fidelity Weston at chair@pfla.org.uk to add their support.
