NATIONAL Farmers’ Union Scotland (NFUS) has called for an ‘urgent’ reform of UK food labelling regulations – warning that they are currently ‘confusing, inconsistent, and unfair’.
Released in a new policy paper, the document sets out a series of recommendations to improve transparency across the food system and coincides with the union’s 2026 AGM and conference.
The paper calls on food being labelled clearly, regardless of where sold – urging to not just stop at supermarkets, but extend to out of home and wholesale. Origin should be on the front of packs, rather than in the fine print, it adds and processing shouldn’t erase origin – with labels stating where the meat comes from.
Further to this, it calls for a stop to ‘burying’ country-of-origin’ in ‘tiny print’ – instead making it clear, visible, and honest. ‘Vague’ labels such as ‘mixed origin’ must also be scrapped; flags and provenance should be given protection; the use of fake farms should be ended; and plant-based alternatives should be stopped from using names or branding that imitate traditional meat.
The NFUS paper, entitled ‘Fair Labels, Fair Markets’, highlights that over 80% of consumers say origin matters to them – yet fewer than 50% feel they can easily find that information when shopping.
NFU Scotland president, Andrew Connon, said, “Consumers in Scotland care deeply about where their food comes from, but they’re being let down by vague and misleading labels. At the same time, world-class food produced by Scottish farmers and crofters is too often undermined or co-mingled with imports that don’t meet our standards.
“This paper sets out a clear path forward. We’re asking government and relevant agencies to back honest labelling, support domestic production, and give the public the transparency they deserve.”
NFUS CEO John Davidson, who led the development of the paper, added, “These aren’t abstract principles, they affect everyday decisions in shops, restaurants and supply chains. The current system is messy and inconsistent. We’re calling for a reset that protects integrity and builds trust.
“We’re not asking for more red tape, we’re asking for better rules, applied fairly and transparently. We hope the UK Government will take this opportunity to show leadership on an issue that unites producers and the public.”
