Ahead of the general election on July 4, campaigners have called on all political parties to commit to ensuring there is mandatory food labels on products.
The campaigners believe that mandatory labelling could improve human health, but also the welfare of farmed animals.
The calls were led by International Rhino Foundation director, Peter Hall and Conservative Animal Welfare Foundation Directors, Chris and Lorraine Platt.
The campaigners said that Westminster has a lot of work to do when it comes to how animals are treated across Britain and the provenance of the food that people eat.
The campaigners added:
“Until we are told the truth about where our food comes from, the market will fail to incentivise behaviour patterns that will confine animal cruelty, obesity, and environmental degradation to the annals of history.
Hall said that because of the UK’s “inadequate” animal product labelling system, consumers are rarely given any information on the environmental impact the food has.
He continued that consumers do not know what agricultural chemicals have been used on the produce, therefore, the consumer is “deprived of the ability” to make an informed decision about their diet.
The director added:
“Our political classes cannot afford to miss this golden opportunity to set the record straight on food.”
Platt said that mandatory clear labelling allows consumers to make informed choices and that currently there is no legal requirements to label products with information on how animals were reared.
The Conservative Animal Welfare Foundation director said this is why he is urging the new parliament to legislate for mandatory labelling on all food products.
Mandatory food labels
Previously, the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (RSPCA) urged the public to respond to the UK government’s food labelling consultation and demand clearer labelling on animal products.
It centres on how clearer labels on pork, chicken and eggs could be produced in order to provide the public with transparency over the food they buy.
The RSPCA said that mandatory labelling indicating how an animal has been reared is not currently required on animal products in the food industry making it hard to make an informed choice on the supermarket aisles.
A RSCPA survey carried out last year found that 81% of people think having a level of knowledge about the condition the animals have been reared in, is important when purchasing products.
79% of consumers surveyed believe that they can improve animal welfare through their purchasing habits.
