For people to make informed food choices, transparency is essential. Retailers and manufacturers should provide clear information on origin and method of production that covers the entire range of animal products, including ingredients. Currently products may have labels or packaging that is undefined, unclear or misleading in its imagery, i.e. products from animals raised intensively indoors might be promoted with pictures of outdoor small-scale farms.
Retailers should support citizens to identify products from ‘better’ production systems. The best way to achieve this is through clearly identifiable information on the packaging or at the point of sale.
Recognisable labels from credible certification schemes work well, but currently cover only premium products that constitute a small fraction of sales.
Retailers and manufacturers should collaborate to ensure labelling coherence across the sector or call on the government to introduce mandatory standardised methods of production labelling, to avoid confusing people.
