UK supermarkets have been accused of using “inconsistent” and “misleading” labelling on products, making it difficult for customers to know where their groceries come from.
An investigation by Which? found that grocers were selling goods which had “meaningless” statements on their packets.
It’s mandatory for retailers to include the country of origin on specific foods such as fresh fruit and vegetables, unprocessed meats, fish, olive oil and wine, although the requirements do not generally apply to processed or frozen meat and processed vegetables and fruit.
Despite this, researchers from Which? researchers carrying out supermarket visits found that this was sometimes missing from goods in store where required.
Loose cauliflowers, red cabbage, courgettes and onions at Sainsbury’s, peppers, melons and mangoes at Asda and spring onions at Aldi had no visible origin labelling on the shelf or the products themselves.
It also pointed out inconsistencies, including a whole own-label pineapple in Tesco providing its country of origin, while a packet of pineapple chunks found in the next aisle did not.
While this complies with the rules, Which? highlighted that this was not particularly helpful for customers.
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In other cases, the consumer champion claimed labels were misleading or meaningless for shoppers, highlighting that Aldi’s Crestwood bacon and cheese wraps displayed union jacks with the claim “Made in Britain” on the front while the back stated the item contained EU pork.
Which? retail editor Ele Clark said: “Supermarkets should particularly focus on labelling loose fruit and vegetables more clearly, but manufacturers and retailers should also consider providing origin information on more processed meat products so shoppers are armed with the information they need to make informed choices.”
The business said it planned to share its findings with the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, which has this year announced a consultation on food labelling designed to improve transparency so shoppers can “make informed decisions”.
Asda and Sainsbury’s claimed they had stringent processes in place to ensure their products’ country of origin was clearly shown on the shelf edge, as well as on items themselves for those applicable. Discount grocer Aldi also insisted it worked hard to ensure all of its labels were in line with the rules.
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