we are responsible for enforcing the wealth of legislation which regulates the composition and labelling of foods manufactured and sold to both consumers and caterers.

Advances in food technology have enabled a wider variety of food to reach supermarket shelves. They also represent an opportunity to use this technology to replace traditional expensive ingredients with cheaper inferior ones.

Vegetable protein can be retextured to look like meat, colourings added to make mechanically recovered food appear more palatable, and perishable food irradiated to extend shelf life.

Trading Standards officers control abuse by checking that food labels and composition comply with the law. Retail food premises are inspected to ensure that the law relating to food quality is complied with and products are not sold after their "use by" date.

More information and advice about Food standards and labelling can be found here:-

http://www.tradingstandards.gov.uk/cgi-bin/bgllist.cgi#fd