David Ruffley MP is launching an 'Honest Food Labelling' campaign calling for clearer labelling on food packaging and asking his constituents for their views on this important issue in his new survey at: www.tellDavidRuffley.com

David's campaign seeks to end misleading claims on food packaging, thereby making consumers better informed and supporting local farmers. This means that meat products, such as bacon, sausages and ready meals, which are labelled 'British' can only use meat that comes from animals born and bred in Britain.

David Ruffley's parliamentary colleague, Richard Bacon, will be introducing a Food Labelling Regulations (Amendment) Bill in the House of Commons on 17 March and asking the Government to support it. However, even if this Bill is allocated parliamentary time, it still has only a slim chance of becoming law.

So, in the meantime, David Ruffley is launching an 'Honest Food Labelling' campaign to encourage producers of processed meat products to include the country of origin of the meat on the label. David has written to the local branch managers of the major supermarkets in his constituency asking them to introduce a policy of selling only meat products which clearly state the country of origin on the packaging.

Research into everyday products on supermarket shelves has identified Tesco's chicken dinners 'produced in the UK' using chicken from Thailand; Marks and Spencer's corned beef sandwiches emblazoned with the Union flag- but using meat from Brazil; and goods from the Birdseye 'Great British Menu' range made with imported meat.

David Ruffley said:

'My constituents have a right to know where their food comes from, but at present there is nothing in food labelling regulations to stop food that is only processed in the UK being labelled as 'British'.

'I also want to support our Suffolk farmers who produce excellent quality food. So if a pork product is labelled 'Suffolk Pork' I want people to be confident that the pigs were born and bred in Suffolk and not just processed here.

'I call on the major supermarkets to introduce a policy of selling only processed meat products which clearly state on the packaging the country of origin of the meat.

'I encourage my constituents to respond to my Honest Food Labelling survey by visiting my survey website at www.tellDavidRuffley.com. I am always keen to hear their views.'