Horsemeat sanctions needed

Chris Davies MEP

Food manufacturers should face penalties for mislabelling the products they sell, says a North West Euro-MP.

Chris Davies is calling on governments across Europe to start holding food manufacturers to account.

The Liberal Democrat MEP claims that EU labelling laws are clear, but horsemeat is on sale because national governments have failed to apply them.

Davies said: "Customers put their trust in the food manufacturers when they read the label on a product, but that trust has been abused.

"Fraud has taken place, but that fraud was possible only because food manufacturers were not carrying out the necessary checks and governments did not make them do so.

"There is no point in having sound food labelling principles if no-one ensures that they are put into practice."