‘Environmental Health!’, ‘Trading Standards!’ The alarm passed in a hoarse whisper from stall to stall - for, rest assured, the Farmers’ Market is regulated and inspected regularly.
On this occasion I was handed a six-page document giving ‘A brief overview of Food Labelling Regulations, effective from December 13 2014’.
This lists the 12 ‘Mandatory Particulars’ which must be displayed on all pre-packed food; and it amounts to the labelling of everything bigger than a toffee - in lettering smaller than the naked eye can reasonably read.
To small-scale producers like me this seems daunting; leaving little room for commonsense or business integrity.
Our products are individually produced and naturally variable - we’re not set up to analyse the chemical content of every biscuit, lamb chop or chicken we produce.
Fortunately, meeting in person those responsible for enforcing EU regulations gave a valuable opportunity to talk through practicalities, which apparently not even DEFRA has yet worked out!
Jane Merritt is a stallholder on Kendal Farmers’ Market
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