NPA rejects Defra’s ‘method of production’ labelling plans

Pig producers have rejected government plans to introduce new food labels that specify the method of production, saying it will add cost and complexity while failing to deliver on its objectives.

The proposals were spelled out in a Defra consultation launched in mid-March, seeking to improve transparency around the country origin of food and the farming methods used to produce it, “so helping consumers make decisions that align with their values”.

See also: Defra sets out plans for ‘method of production’ food labelling

It is seeking to introduce a five-tier classification for pork, chicken and eggs, based on welfare, which would apply to both domestic and imported produce.

For pigs, “free-range” and “outdoor-bred” pork would be categorised in the highest tiers, with Tier 3 encompassing “enhanced indoor”, followed by “standard indoor” in Tier 4.

The lowest tier would be “unclassified, non-UK standard” for product that does not meet the UK’s legal baseline.

Flawed approach

But in its response to the consultation, which closed on Tuesday (7 May), the National Pig Association (NPA) said using method of production as an indicator of welfare was flawed.

“It is widely accepted that good animal husbandry and management procedures have a far greater impact on the welfare of pigs than the system in which they are raised,” said NPA chairman Rob Mutimer.

“Any measure of animal welfare on food packaging should be scientifically accurate and representative and, therefore, based on outcomes and not inputs.”

Mr Mutimer said the five-tier approach would denigrate “standard” Red Tractor production to the second to lowest tier, despite these standards going beyond the legislated minimum for animal welfare.

“Enacting these proposals would undermine domestic production by damaging the trust that consumers place in British pork and in Red Tractor,” he said.

Complexity 

The complex nature of pig production in the UK, with some pigs reared in one set-up then finished in another, meant it would be near impossible to accurately identify one system to cover the whole life of many pigs.

But while the NPA is strongly opposed to method of production labelling, it is more supportive of plans to clarify country of origin labelling, which it says will improve clarity for consumers and tighten up the rules around the use of flags on packaging.