A petition signed by farmers across East Anglia urging the government to speed up changes in food labelling, was handed to Braintree MP, Alan Hurst.

Mr Hurst, a member of the government's Select Committee on Agriculture, received the petition at the Earls Colne office of the National Farmers' Union.

In their petition, the farmers claim that changes to food labelling are needed to identify where meat products are produced, not just packed or processed.

This, they say, will allow customers to make informed buying choices.

"I see it as helping the British consumers to identify British meat which has been reared to our high standards of animal welfare," commented Alan Hurst.

"I hope to present the petition, which has my whole-hearted support, to minister, Nick Brown, before Christmas. The government is already considering changes in food labelling, and this petition is aimed at speeding up that process."

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