CROOKED CARROTS SAVED - NORTH EAST MEP
March 29, 2010 12:00 AM
Originally published by Fiona Hall MEP
Originally published by Fiona Hall MEP
Liberal Democrat Euro-MPs have played a key role in ensuring that crooked carrots and curvy cucumbers can continue to be sold in shops.
They have voted down a bid by Spanish MEPs to restore old EU rules that restricted the sale of imperfect-looking fruit and vegetables.
The controversial proposal to reinstate the 'community marketing rules' gained the support of the European Parliament's agriculture committee last month, but it was heavily defeated by a vote of all MEPs at the end of last week.
North East Liberal Democrat Fiona Hall MEP welcomed the rejection of a scheme which she said had in the past led to perfectly healthy fruit and veg being thrown away.
She said: "I want EU rules to ensure that food on sale is safe to eat, but shoppers can make up their own minds about whether to buy bendy bananas or crooked carrots."
But the MEP admitted that supermarkets often responded to consumer demand by telling farmers only to supply them with good looking products.
Fiona commented: "People say they want choice, but the majority of shoppers avoid buying fruit and veg that they think looks strange."
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