Produce of...

Some foods, such as beef and certain fruit and vegetables, must have labels saying what country they have come from.

But most foods (including processed meat such as bacon, ham, pies, sausages and ready meals) only need to include this information if not giving it would be misleading.

The Agency is working to change European rules on food labelling so that the 'country of origin' must be given on a wider range of foods. The Agency also wants to see clear rules on the use of terms such as 'produce of'.

However, changing these rules will take some time and, in the meantime, the Agency is encouraging manufacturers and retailers to provide this information voluntarily.

The Agency has issued guidance to manufacturers and retailers emphasising that origin labels must be clearly worded if they are to avoid contravening the laws on false and misleading labelling and presentation. We will shortly begin a survey to see how well this is being taken up by manufacturers.

You might also see health marks on some products.

These are usually a code number and some letters, for example 'UK' and 'EEC', inside an oval mark.

Health marks are used mainly on meat and dairy products. They show that the food has been produced to the current standards of hygienic food production in licensed premises and allow food to be traced back to those premises. Health marks don't show which country the food or its ingredients came from.