Call for meat origin labelling from MLC

The Meat and Livestock Commission (MLC) is calling for pubs to label the origin of meat on menus or face imposed regulations. The call follows the recent announcement by the Scottish Executive that beef labelling regulations are to be extended to the catering sector.

MLC chief executive Richard Lowe said: "The case is clear; consumers are now more interested in food than ever before and demand for origin labelling has grown. There is no legitimate reason why caterers cannot meet this requirement. After all, the information is available right up to the kitchen door so it should not be difficult to pass onto customers."

Lord Rooker, Minister of State, Sustainable Farming and Food is warning of regulatory action should the voluntary guidelines for labelling the origin of meat on menus not be more widely adopted.

Lowe said research shows 60 per cent of consumers believed restaurants should provide information on menus of the origin of meat they serve. However, he warned this should not be omitted in favour of breed information, which has the potential to mislead consumers. For example, 84 per cent of consumers believe 'Aberdeen Angus' beef comes from Scotland yet in reality it is a premium breed of cattle which is produced all over the world - in fact it is a dominant breed of cattle in the USA and Argentina.

He said: "The MLC has long been calling for caterers to take heed of our research which has shown that consumer concern in this area has been steadily gathering momentum. Our Best Practice Guidelines, which were introduced in 2003, clearly demonstrate that it need not be costly or complicated for businesses to introduce origin labelling on menus, or through other devices front of house.

"While a number of both small and large scale operators across the UK have adopted these best practice guidelines, some caterers have persistently ignored the need for origin labelling. Regardless of the regulatory landscape I think the market itself will start to work against them."

For more information visit www.mlc.org.uk