Not identifying halal food could trip up food firms leading law firm says

Not identifying halal food could  trip up food firms  leading law firm says

"Food and drink firms could face prosecution for failing to label products as halal under forthcoming regulatory changes, according to top legal firm Eversheds."

"“It is conceivable that under the revised food labelling requirements [the Food Information to Consumers Regulation], the majority of which will come into force during December 2014, and UK consumer protection legislation that it is an offence to fail to notify consumers that they are purchasing halal meat,” said Eversheds food labelling expert Gillian Harkess."

"The key test determining whether businesses could breach UK regulations would be if failure to highlight halal products could alter shoppers’ purchasing decisions, she said."

"On the one hand, it was unlikely that there would be much impetus to prosecute a firm for such an offence, given that bigger issues such as food fraud needed more focus, said Harkess."

"Sensitive issue

However, on the other hand, failure to label ingredients in products was a sensitive issue for many consumers, and consumer groups, after last year’s horsemeat scandal, she warned"

"“In the cash-strapped world of food regulators, where the priority for time and resource is to investigate and prosecute food businesses which intentionally or negligently cause harm to consumers, it is likely that the appetite to prosecute a food business for failing to declare that their meat is slaughtered in line with halal requirements is low.

“Food businesses should remain aware however, that public interest on the information provided in food labels remains high as a result of the horsemeat scandal of 2013 and careful consideration should be given to them as result.”"

Click here to read the full article


Please take a few moments to ask UKIP to keep their policy to ban non-stun slaughter which they are now seeking to reverse due to pressure from Jewish Groups. 

Click here to sign the petition

Please take a few moments to complete our short survey on how Halal meat affects you and your personal beliefs.

Click here to complete our survey

---

Not identifying halal food could trip up food firms

By Rod Addyt

http://www.foodmanufacture.co.uk/

PUBLISHED: 09 May 2014 

---