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The Island's MP, Andrew Turner is encouraging Islanders to support 'Labelling Matters' the EU wide campaign on labelling foods with the method of farm production.
The campaign is jointly organised by the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (RSPCA), Compassion in World Farming, the Soil Association and the World Society for the Protection of Animals (WSPA).
Mr Turner recently attended the launch of 'Labelling Matters' in Westminster and to reinforce his commitment to the campaign joined other MPs in signing a letter to the new Minister of Agriculture, the Rt Hon David Heath CBE MP about the issue.
Mr Turner said: "I fully support this campaign as I believe it is important that consumers can find out how their food is produced. Surveys show that up to 90% of UK consumers think animal welfare is an important factor when shopping for food, yet more than 80% of animals raised in the EU are factory farmed. Since 2004 the method of egg production has been printed on our egg boxes - and many people now routinely choose to buy free range eggs, even though they cost a little more. In fact more than half the eggs sold in the UK today are produced using higher welfare methods such as barn, free range or organic systems.
"Shoppers should be able to make informed decisions about whether they want to buy factory farmed produce - but they can't as it isn't labelled. I believe all animal produce should be labelled clearly and honestly with the farm system used to rear the animal. That should be the case across the EU - so that British farmers with higher welfare standards would not lose out to misleading or incomplete labelling on produce imported from other countries."
Labelling Matters has a petition on their website and need as many signatures as possible to promote their campaign. In addition they have produced a video explaining the need for clear labelling. Their website can be found at www.labellingmatters.org
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