Wrapped in the Flag: Food Choice and Country of Origin Labelling

Abstract

SummaryThe growth in country of origin (COO) food labelling is part of the ongoing proliferation of information provided to consumers. However, the implementation of COO labelling means that consumers can sometimes end up more confused than informed. This concern raises questions regarding how COO information should be provided, along with what information needs to be given to consumers. We begin by discussing what COO actually indicates. This is followed by a review of the evidence on consumer use of COO information. Then turning to current policy issues, we draw attention to how COO information can be used to promote consumer ethnocentrism as well as inadvertently causing trade tensions both between trading countries and within the EU single market. We then consider how developments in information technology like blockchains or smart labels might change how COO information is collated and used. In particular, we observe that any increase in the use of this technology will depend on whether or not consumers trust these new digital sources of information. Potentially, the convenience with which COO information could be verified by consumers using information technology is a logical development given consumer demands for convenience in general.