Animal welfare campaigners are urging all political parties to commit to mandatory food product labelling ahead of the general election.

This move, led by International Rhino Foundation director Peter Hall and Conservative Animal Welfare Foundation directors Chris and Lorraine Platt, aims to promote better health, welfare, and environmental standards.

Peter Hall criticised the current labelling system, stating: “Thanks to the UK’s inadequate animal product labelling system, we are very rarely given any clues as to facts as fundamental as the environmental impact of the food we eat.”

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He highlighted the public's lack of knowledge about the agricultural chemicals used in food production and stressed the importance of allowing consumers to make informed dietary choices, particularly with the rise in allergies and health issues like gluten intolerance, neurodiversity, and diabetes.

Despite the benefits, some farming groups have warned that labelling based on production methods could increase costs and complexity without providing true transparency. Currently, there are no legal requirements to label products with information on livestock rearing methods, except for whole eggs.

Chris Platt highlighting: “I’m calling for urgent action in the new Parliament to legislate for mandatory labelling on all food products sold in the UK.”

This campaign follows a Defra consultation aimed at enhancing transparency regarding food origins and production methods, which closed for responses in May. Defra believes that these proposals will help consumers make decisions that ‘align with their values.’