Authenticity issues in meat and meat products.

Proper product description is of crucial importance in ensuring fair trading practices and enabling consumers to make informed choices and is therefore addressed in some detail in UK food legislation. This paper will briefly examine the historical development of UK food laws and the meaning of "authenticity" within the context of current legislation, particularly with respect to meat and fish products. The food authenticity programme of the UK Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (MAFF) is discussed, outlining its R and D programme and detailing the types of topics under consideration, and how selection of surveillance projects is determined.