Viva! - Press Release Index

Viva!
8 York Court
Wilder Street
Bristol BS2 8QH Tel: 0117 944 1000
Fax: 0117 924 4646

email:
becky@viva.org.uk

Better food labelling: urgentaction needed!

Deadline for public consultation exercise on food & drink labelling: 20 March 2000

The government is currently carrying out a public consultation exercise to find out what information people want to see on food and drink labels. According to MAFF, New Labour is, “committed to giving consumers informed choice - and that means clear, accurate labels that people can understand on food.” Its not clear whether new legislation is on the cards but this is certainly a good opportunity for animal campaigners to make their voices heard. You can email your comments through to Food Safety Minister Helene Hayman at: a.betterlabel@jfssg.maff.gov.uk

Viva! believes that accurate food labelling is essential so that consumers can make informed choices about the products which they buy. Without labels, consumers may unwittingly be purchasing products which, for ethical or health reasons, they do not support.

Points you may wish to include:

1. Viva! is particularly concerned that at the moment, meat from religiously slaughtered animals is ending up on supermarket shelves without being labelled as such. Around two thirds of all cattle and sheep killed by Jewish slaughter and those carcasses rejected as non-Kosher are sold on the open market. Animals killed by the halal method which are not sold to halal outlets or for export are also sold on the open market.

The exemption in UK slaughter regulations which allows animals to be killed without being stunned was intended to enable members of the Jewish and Muslim communities to eat kosher and halal meat. Meat from religiously slaughtered animals which ends up being sold on the open market should, at the very least, be clearly labelled to identify the method of slaughter. This labelling requirement is a basic human right.

Viva!’s call for the labelling of meat from religiously slaughtered animals is supported by the consumer rights organisation, FLAG (Food Labelling Agenda) and was proposed by the government’s advisory body, the Farm Animal Welfare Council, in their 1985 report on religious slaughter. FAWC state, ‘We feel that consumers when purchasing meat should be aware of the method by which that meat was prepared in order that they may have the option of selecting meat which accords with their own views on slaughter methods. We therefore recommend that all carcases and cuts prepared from animals (including poultry) slaughtered by religious methods and offered for sale down to, and including the retail level, should be clearly labelled to indicate the method of slaughter.’

FAWC proposed that religious slaughter should be phased out altogether within 3 years and that the labelling requirement should take ‘immediate effect’. 15 years later, nothing has happened and Viva! believes it is time for change.

2. Viva! also supports an improvement in food and drink labelling for vegetarians and vegans. Foods which are suitable for vegetarians, or vegetarians and vegans, should be clearly labelled as such. Packaged food, bread, alcoholic drinks like wine and beer and soft drinks like squash can often contain ‘hidden’ animal-derived ingredients and additives, meaning that vegetarians and vegans can find it difficult to make appropriate choices. Whilst an increasing number of products now display vegetarian symbols, products suitable for vegans frequently fail to be clearly identified. Vegetarians have also found that so-called vegetarian products can in fact contain battery eggs.

The Co-op supermarket clearly labels food and drink ‘suitable for vegetarians’ and ‘suitable for vegetarians and vegans’ and Viva! would like to see a similar scheme be adopted by other supermarkets and product manufacturers.

3. You can also comment on any other aspect of food and drink labelling that’s important to you i.e. what’s in food (eg. gm ingredients), how food is made, where it comes from and how much fat, salt etc. it contains.

You can email your comments through to food safety minister Helene Hayman at: a.betterlabel@jfssg.maff.gov.uk or write to: Helene Hayman, ‘Better Food Labelling’, MAFF, Freepost LON 15319, London SE8 5BP.

Thanks for your support! If you have any queries about food labelling, just email Viva! at info@viva.org.uk



Viva! 8 York Court Wilder Street Bristol BS2 8QH Tel: 0117 944 1000 Fax: 0117 924 4646 email: becky@viva.org.uk	Better food labelling: urgentaction needed! Deadline for public consultation exercise on food & drink labelling: 20 March 2000 The government is currently carrying out a public consultation exercise to find out what information people want to see on food and drink labels. According to MAFF, New Labour is, “committed to giving consumers informed choice - and that means clear, accurate labels that people can understand on food.” Its not clear whether new legislation is on the cards but this is certainly a good opportunity for animal campaigners to make their voices heard. You can email your comments through to Food Safety Minister Helene Hayman at: a.betterlabel@jfssg.maff.gov.uk Viva! believes that accurate food labelling is essential so that consumers can make informed choices about the products which they buy. Without labels, consumers may unwittingly be purchasing products which, for ethical or health reasons, they do not support. Points you may wish to include: 1. Viva! is particularly concerned that at the moment, meat from religiously slaughtered animals is ending up on supermarket shelves without being labelled as such. Around two thirds of all cattle and sheep killed by Jewish slaughter and those carcasses rejected as non-Kosher are sold on the open market. Animals killed by the halal method which are not sold to halal outlets or for export are also sold on the open market. The exemption in UK slaughter regulations which allows animals to be killed without being stunned was intended to enable members of the Jewish and Muslim communities to eat kosher and halal meat. Meat from religiously slaughtered animals which ends up being sold on the open market should, at the very least, be clearly labelled to identify the method of slaughter. This labelling requirement is a basic human right. Viva!’s call for the labelling of meat from religiously slaughtered animals is supported by the consumer rights organisation, FLAG (Food Labelling Agenda) and was proposed by the government’s advisory body, the Farm Animal Welfare Council, in their 1985 report on religious slaughter. FAWC state, ‘We feel that consumers when purchasing meat should be aware of the method by which that meat was prepared in order that they may have the option of selecting meat which accords with their own views on slaughter methods. We therefore recommend that all carcases and cuts prepared from animals (including poultry) slaughtered by religious methods and offered for sale down to, and including the retail level, should be clearly labelled to indicate the method of slaughter.’ FAWC proposed that religious slaughter should be phased out altogether within 3 years and that the labelling requirement should take ‘immediate effect’. 15 years later, nothing has happened and Viva! believes it is time for change. 2. Viva! also supports an improvement in food and drink labelling for vegetarians and vegans. Foods which are suitable for vegetarians, or vegetarians and vegans, should be clearly labelled as such. Packaged food, bread, alcoholic drinks like wine and beer and soft drinks like squash can often contain ‘hidden’ animal-derived ingredients and additives, meaning that vegetarians and vegans can find it difficult to make appropriate choices. Whilst an increasing number of products now display vegetarian symbols, products suitable for vegans frequently fail to be clearly identified. Vegetarians have also found that so-called vegetarian products can in fact contain battery eggs. The Co-op supermarket clearly labels food and drink ‘suitable for vegetarians’ and ‘suitable for vegetarians and vegans’ and Viva! would like to see a similar scheme be adopted by other supermarkets and product manufacturers. 3. You can also comment on any other aspect of food and drink labelling that’s important to you i.e. what’s in food (eg. gm ingredients), how food is made, where it comes from and how much fat, salt etc. it contains. You can email your comments through to food safety minister Helene Hayman at: a.betterlabel@jfssg.maff.gov.uk or write to: Helene Hayman, ‘Better Food Labelling’, MAFF, Freepost LON 15319, London SE8 5BP. Thanks for your support! If you have any queries about food labelling, just email Viva! at info@viva.org.uk