I take issue with the labelling for some of Highland Game’s venison products – sausages, grill steaks and burgers – on sale in my local Lidl (and other retailers). The company claims they mix pork with the venison because the latter is a dry meat, but this does not mean they cannot use appropriate labelling.
The word venison is always loud and clear and in large capital letters, but the other meat ingredient (pork) is printed in a far smaller font in lower-case which is difficult to read. On the reverse, in very small print, it does state that the item contains a percentage of pork but the fact that pork is processed with the venison should be shown clearly on the front.
This is not acceptable for people who are happy to eat venison (since the deer are shot, not slaughtered) but who do not eat pork.
H G-P, Moray
Consumers need to be armed with magnifying glasses as well as calculators to understand most food labels.
Lidl says the products adhered to all British and European labelling regulations, but referred you – and us – to Highland Game, which says: “We work very closely with our local authority, who are responsible for enforcement for product labelling. They audit us annually, where they carry out spot checks of our products from retailers. They check that the information on the sleeves complies with legislation as well as conduct analysis to verify the nutritional information, meat content, the allergen status and the preservatives used. No issue has been raised regarding the legality of the labelling. We will always take on board any feedback from customers, however we do not receive many complaints of this nature.”
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