EDM 594 - Veggie labelling - being supported

[StevieP]

Early Day Motion 594 - Veggie labelling - is gaining support. We've just got a positive response from our MP.


Check that your MP is listed as a supporter here

[Pob]

Sent an email to Derek Wyatt, my local MP.

[Kevster]

Cheers for that, i'll mail Fabian Hamilton my Leeds MP and see if he'll add his name.

[StevieP]

According to our MP, the conservatives as party are supporting the EDM, although it is a free vote, so its just a matter of getting your local conservative to tick his name off.

[Kevster]

Hey, if the Tories are supporting it, i doubt there'll be much difficulty in persuading the Liberals and Labour MPs.

[StevieP]

I get so confused nowadays of who is who.

[cedarblue]

my mp isnt mentioned but im contacting barbara follett for her response.

[SophieFP]

Great stuff. The wider range of MPs and parties that support this the better.

My non-veggie mum even wrote to her MP on this, and he, Chris Huhne, has signed it and wrote back to her about it. It is in the interest of non-veggies too that such labelling is unambiguous and true, as they sometimes have to feed us and it makes their lives easier to have clearly labeled foods.

[DonQuinoa]

Find your MP here just paste in your postcode then send an email now

http://www.locata.co.uk/commons/

Please support EDM 594

and the reasons why you think it should be supported

[SophieFP]

Submitted by Tony Bishop-Weston to his MP:

to: Richard Ottaway MP for Croydon

Whilst there is nominal protection of authenticity if a product has the Vegetarian or Vegan logo on a product under the "passing off" , "suitable for the use intended" , and trade description legislation there is nothing to guarantee the millions of other products are animal free.

If Eggs are vegetarian is caviar (fish eggs)vegetarian, if a cow is fed fish is it's milk vegetarian? is shellac from the lac beetle or honey vegetarian if the insects are killed to in order to harvest the product?

With millions of people now becoming vegetarian or vegan the law needs clarification - one dictionary says some vegetarians eat fish - thats a bit like saying some atheists worship god.

Vegan is easy - no animal products - but there still needs to be legal clarification to protect industry, trading standards officers and consumers from getting into an enormous mess of "publically percieved to be"

EG Trading standards officer could say that a restaurant selling a vegetarian platter could be within the law if it clearly states that the platter includes fish , however as a vegan I would assume that a vegetarian platter would include vegetarian "fish" as sold in thai and chinese restaurants made from vegetable protein or such as Redwoods Foods range of vegan smoked salmon and scampi products.

Please support this EDM

FOOD STANDARDS AGENCY CONSULTATION ON VEGETARIAN AND VEGAN FOOD LABELLING
14.07.2005

Drew, David
That this House welcomes the Government's consultation on guidance on the use of the terms vegetarian and vegan in food labelling as an opportunity to improve clarity and consumer confidence; notes that a single recognised universally accepted definition will go some way towards reducing the current problems faced by the UK's three million vegetarians and vegans; further notes that The British Nutrition Foundation, The National Consumer Council and the Vegetarian Society all recommended that action be taken to improve labelling in the sector; and looks forward to the introduction of good practice guidelines but calls upon the Government to ensure that such guidelines are supported by clear targets and regular monitoring.


Tony Bishop-Weston - Foods For Life (Nutrition and Food Consultancy) www.foodsforlife.co.uk

[peaches22]

That's so awesome. I wish we had something like that happening here. I would love not having to read through all of those ingredients, and sometimes still not knowing whether or not it's vegan.

[SophieFP]

That's so awesome. I wish we had something like that happening here.

You could - it's worth a try. This was caused by the Vegetarian Society in the UK and other groups getting together with veggie-friendly politicians (I bet you have some too) and coming up with a plan. If you can get the dairy-intolerant community in on it too, even better. So ask all the veggie organisations and their contact networks - tell them what's happening in the UK - and see what works out!

By the way, this is only the start of a long process, it won't make it law but just show how much popularity there is for it becoming law. It also mentions guidelines for business which are currently in draft form, only a law would make them enforceable.

The ball has started rolling...

[peaches22]

Thanks, SophieFP. You're right; it's worth a try. I'll start doing some research and writing some e-mails. I usually get ignored, but you never know.