Customers failed by poor ‘country of origin’ labels, says Which?
“Misleading” and “inconsistent” labels make it hard for shoppers to know where their food comes from, the consumer organisation Which? has said. It found supermarket chains were selling products with “meaningless” statements on their packaging.
Retailers must supply the country of origin for specific foods including fresh fruit and vegetables, unprocessed meats, fish, wine and olive oil, but the rules do not generally apply to processed meat or frozen or processed fruit and vegetables.
However Which? researchers on store visits found that, even when the country of origin was required, it was sometimes missing in store, as was the case with loose cauliflowers, courgettes and onions in Sainsbury’s, and peppers, melons and mangoes in Asda.
Two-thirds of people surveyed by Which? said they thought it was important to know where fresh fruit and vegetables came from. Half of respondents said it was also important to know where processed and tinned meat comes from.
Which? also highlighted inconsistencies. A whole own-label pineapple in Tesco carried the country of origin while a packet of pineapple chunks in the next aisle did not. This is within the rules but is not helpful for shoppers, Which? said.
Which? complained that labels were misleading or meaningless. Aldi’s Crestwood bacon and cheese wraps was an example of the former as they carry Union Jacks and say Made in Britain on the front of the packet, but the back reveals they contain EU pork.
A pack of gammon joints at Iceland was labelled as “EU and non EU origin” – a statement which was described as “meaningless”. But analysts says this type of label is intended to inform customers that the product contains a blend of ingredients from different countries.