Lochhead launches labelling guide

The guide, developed in partnership with the Scottish Government, gives consumers in Scotland a concise and readable background on the current rules on country of origin labelling and highlights those foods where specific labelling rules apply.

Country of origin rules are complex and under the present food labelling legislation, foods such as beef and certain fruit and vegetables, must have labels saying which country they have come from.

However, foods such as ham, pies, sausages and ready meals need only include this information if it is misleading to the consumer without it.

Rural affairs secretary Richard Lochhead said: “This guide will give consumers greater understanding of complex origin rules and confidence that they are buying authentic Scottish produce, as opposed to cheap imitations.

“It uses examples based on actual food labels, and also helps explain the meaning of some of the terms and logos found on food labels.

“Along with our ‘provenance on a plate” toolkit, which encourages restaurants, pubs and cafes to show origin information on menus, it means that whether eating out or doing the weekly shop, consumers have a greater opportunity to choose fresh, seasonal produce and learn more about where it has come from.”

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