Food Labelling Bill

House of Commons

Session 1999-2000
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Other Bills before Parliament

Food Labelling Bill

This is the text of the Food Labelling Bill, as presented to the House of Commons on 15th December 1999.

Food Labelling Bill

ARRANGEMENT OF CLAUSES

Clause

1. Interpretation.

2. Labelling: countries of origin.

3. Labelling: production standards.

4. Method of marking or labelling.

5. Consequential amendment.

6. Short title, commencement and extent.

A
B I L L
TO
Make further provision for consumers of food to be informed about the country of origin and standards of production of food presented for sale by labelling, marking or in other ways; and for connected purposes.
BE IT ENACTED by the Queen's most Excellent Majesty, by and with the advice and consent of the Lords Spiritual and Temporal, and Commons, in this present Parliament assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows:-

Interpretation.     1. In this Act, unless the context otherwise requires-

"food" is to be interpreted in accordance with section 1 of the Food Safety Act 1990, but does not include food to which regulations 26, 27 and 28 of the Food Labelling Regulations 1996 ("the Regulations") apply, or sea fish or shellfish listed in Schedule 1 to the Regulations;

"ingredient" has the meaning assigned to it by the Regulations;

"labelling" has the meaning assigned to it by the Regulations;

"livestock" has the meaning assigned to it by the Agricultural Holdings Act 1986, but including salmon and freshwater fish listed in Schedule 1 to the Regulations;

"major ingredient" means an ingredient which forms more than 25 per cent. by weight of a food;

"production standards" means the minimum legal requirements relating to husbandry which must be observed by food producers, including requirements relating to animal welfare, food safety and environmental protection; and

"ultimate consumer" has the meaning assigned to it by the Regulations.

Labelling: countries of origin.     2. - (1) Food which is sold to a consumer shall be marked or labelled with-

(a) particulars of the country or countries of origin of the food; and

(b) where the food has more than one ingredient, particulars of the country or countries of origin of each major ingredient.

    (2) Where food to which subsection (1) applies has been processed or packaged in a country or countries other than the country or countries of origin, particulars of the country or countries of origin shall be marked or labelled in no less prominent a manner than the particulars of the country or countries where the food has been processed or packaged.

Labelling: production standards.     3. - (1) Where a food is labelled in accordance with section 2 with a country or countries of origin where the production standards for that food are different from, and less demanding than, the production standards applicable in England and Wales, a reference to that fact shall appear on the mark or label of that food.

    (2) In determining whether, in relation to any food derived from livestock, the production standards in another country are less demanding than those applicable in England and Wales, regard shall be had to any codes of recommendations for the welfare of livestock issued under the Agriculture (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1968 which are in force.

Method of marking or labelling.     4. - (1) Subject to subsection (2), food for sale shall display the information required by this Act-

(a) on the food's packaging;

(b) on a label attached to the food's packaging;

(c) on a label that is clearly visible through the food's packaging; or

(d) where the food is not prepacked, on a shelf marker or show card clearly visible at the place where the food is presented for sale.

    (2) Where food is sold otherwise than to the ultimate consumer, the information required by this Act may appear on commercial documents relating to the food, provided that it also appears on the outermost packaging of the food.

    (3) Subsection (2) shall only apply when the commercial documents either-

(a) accompany the food to which they relate at all times; or

(b) arrive with the purchaser before or at the same time as the food itself.

Consequential amendment.     5. In regulation 5 of the Regulations, for sub-paragraph (f) there shall be substituted the following sub-paragraph-

"(f) the particulars required by the Food Labelling Act 2000".

Short title, commencement and extent.     6. - (1) This Act may be cited as the Food Labelling Act 2000.

    (2) This Act shall come into force on such day as may be appointed by order made by statutory instrument, and different days may be appointed for different areas.

    (3) An order under subsection (2) is to be made-

(a) in relation to England, by the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food and the Secretary of State for Health, acting jointly; and

(b) in relation to Wales, by the National Assembly for Wales.

    (4) This Act extends to England and Wales only.

© Parliamentary copyright 2000
Prepared 10 February 2000