With food businesses having to compete for customers, marketing terms such as Local, Welsh, Fresh, Traditional & Homemade are increasingly used on menu descriptions to inform consumers and attract custom.
A coordinated survey was conducted by Trading Standards Officers across North Wales to assess the accuracy of these claims in 2008, with disappointing results. The same survey was repeated over an extended period in 2009/10, targeting premises previously advised with regards to their menu descriptions during the 2008 survey along with others. Officers visited a range of establishments, including restaurants, hotels, pubs & takeaway premises, to examine menus and notices for marketing claims and verifying the claim in relation to what was actually being supplied.
Overall the survey indicated an improvement, with 94% of premises previously advised considered to be compliant. However, there continues to be a problem with 14% of the total premises visited on this occasion found to be misleading consumers through their use of menu descriptions.
In contrast to the previous survey, more than half of the misleading descriptions were found to be at independently operated catering establishments, with the majority of non compliance being found at Public Houses and Restaurants. A staggering 50% of products described as ‘welsh lamb’ could not be verified as such.
Emma Jones, chair of the North Wales Food & Metrology panel said “The Trading Standards Service issues a warning to catering businesses not to rely on assumptions and sales patter alone; any claims made on menu descriptions must be verified. If using descriptions such as Welsh Lamb or Welsh Black Beef, caterers need written confirmation from their suppliers, for each consignment.” She continued, “Findings of the survey suggest that business advice is effective in reducing non-compliance in this area. Communication between caterers and suppliers is key to determining what can and can’t be used as descriptions on menus.”
