Strutt & Parker is standing alongside producers and consumers of the finest British food by calling for continued support for food assurance marks, following recent reports of widespread ‘food fraud’.

As a leading adviser on land management and farming issues, the Firm has long promoted British food and supported high-quality, local producers; it is currently sponsoring Country Life’s Best Farmers’ Market Competition.

Now that the Food Standards Agency is investigating concerns that food assurance marks have been widely abused by unscrupulous suppliers, Strutt & Parker is keen that consumers should retain faith in the assurance system, which is vital to differentiate quality British produce from unregulated imports.

‘Food standards marks assure the consumer that foods sold under the stamp are British products and have adhered to rigorous standards throughout the production process,’ says Mark Juniper of Strutt & Parker’s Farming Department. ‘Unmarked products coming in from outside Britain often masquerade as being of British origin but the minimum standards adhered to overseas might be very different to those adhered to by our own farmers. Foreign produce has no right to display any of the British marks of quality assurance.’

‘The quality assurance marks, such as the Little Red Tractor Logo, have been instigated by industry to give the consumer confidence in the source and quality of what they are buying. Sales of British food have increased since June 2000, when the Red Tractor was introduced as a guarantee that an item was produced, packaged and marketed in the UK.’

‘Complying with the standards required by the many assurance schemes doesn’t come cheap: maintaining unrivalled levels of animal welfare, hygiene and traceability, combined with regular farm inspections and copious form-filling, costs the average arable or livestock farmer up to £7,000 each year. But it’s worth it to maintain public confidence in Britain’s superb food products.

To name a few; food assurance marks include the Red Tractor, the Lion logo on eggs and the Leaf logo that denotes environmentally friendly products. ‘Consumers should buy only quality assured or local produce as this will ensure that high production standards have been adhered too.’ says Juniper. ‘That is why food marks are so important; buying anything without one is a lottery.’