Trading Standards and origin labelling compliance
Case reference FOI2026/02294
Received 23 September 2026
Published 12 October 2026
Request
I am writing to request information under the Freedom of Information Act. For each of the following financial years:
* 2023/24 (1 April 2023 to 31 March 2024)
* 2024/25 (1 April 2024 to 31 March 2025)
* 2025/26 (1 April 2025 to 31 March 2026)
Please provide the information requested below. Let me know if you need any clarifications or further information to complete this request.
Definitions For the purposes of this request:
* "Country-of-origin mislabelling" means any complaint, referral, intelligence report, investigation, inspection or enforcement activity concerning the accuracy of a stated country, territory or place of origin on goods offered for sale.
* Please include cases whether the allegation was ultimately substantiated or not.
* If exact figures are unavailable, please provide the nearest available recorded figures and explain any limitations.
* If information is not held, please state "Information not held", rather than leaving a response blank or putting ‘0’ in a table cell.
Question 1: Complaints and Investigations
How many complaints, referrals or intelligence reports relating to suspected country-of-origin mislabelling were recorded?
How many distinct cases relating to suspected country-of-origin mislabelling were recorded for investigation?
Complaints / referrals / intelligence reports
Cases recorded for investigation
Question 2: Enforcement activity
How many enforcement actions relating to country-of-origin mislabelling were recorded by your authority?
Please provide a breakdown using the categories recorded by your authority. e.g. Advice letters Warning letters Compliance notices Product seizures Formal cautions Civil enforcement actions Criminal prosecutions commenced Convictions obtained Total fines imposed by courts (£) Other (please specify)
Question 3: Occupied Palestinian Territories (OPT) and Israeli settlement cases If recorded, of the complaints and investigations actions reported in Question 1, how many related to products originating from or suspected of originating from:
* the Occupied Palestinian Territories (OPT);
* Israeli settlements located within the OPT; or
* goods described as originating from "West Bank", "Palestine", "Occupied Palestinian Territories", "Israeli Settlement" or similar wording?
Complaints / referrals / intelligence reports
Investigations opened Enforcement actions
Question 4: Enforcement activity related to Occupied Palestinian Territories (OPT) and Israeli settlement cases
If recorded, of the enforcement activity reported in Question 2, how many related to products originating from or suspected of originating from:
* the Occupied Palestinian Territories (OPT);
* Israeli settlements located within the OPT; or
* goods described as originating from "West Bank", "Palestine", "Occupied Palestinian Territories", "Israeli Settlement" or similar wording, please provide a breakdown of cases using the categories recorded by your authority. e.g.
Advice letters
Warning letters
Compliance notices
Product seizures
Formal cautions
Civil enforcement actions
Criminal prosecutions commenced
Convictions obtained
Total fines imposed by courts (£)
Other (please specify)
Question 5: DEFRA Technical Advice Guidance If recorded, how many recorded complaints, referrals, investigations or enforcement actions referenced compliance with the DEFRA 2009 Technical Advice Guidance concerning produce originating from the Occupied Palestinian Territories?
Complaints / referrals / intelligence reports
Investigations opened
Enforcement actions
If any such cases were recorded, please provide a brief summary of the outcome of each case (with suitable redactions).
Question 6: Proactive compliance activity During any of the above financial years, did your authority undertake any proactive inspection, sampling, survey, project or compliance exercise specifically intended to assess the accuracy of origin labelling relating to:
* Occupied Palestinian Territories produce; or
* Israeli settlement produce?
If yes, please provide the number of exercises recorded and a brief summary of the activity and outcome where this information is readily available.
Question 7: Guidance and Procedures
If held and readily available through normal electronic searches, please provide copies of any guidance, policy documents, operational procedures, briefing notes or training materials used by officers when assessing:
* country-of-origin claims generally; and/or
* origin labelling relating to the Occupied Palestinian Territories or Israeli settlements.
Question 8: Business Guidance
In any of the above financial years, has your authority issued guidance, advice, warnings, newsletters or educational material to businesses concerning country-of-origin labelling requirements? If yes, please provide copies or links to the material if readily available through normal electronic searches.
Response
I am writing to request information under the Freedom of Information Act.
For each of the following financial years:
2023/24 (1 April 2023 to 31 March 2024)
2024/25 (1 April 2024 to 31 March 2025)
2025/26 (1 April 2025 to 31 March 2026)
Please provide the information requested below. Let me know if you need any clarifications or further information to complete this request.
Definitions
For the purposes of this request:
"Country-of-origin mislabelling" means any complaint, referral, intelligence report, investigation, inspection or enforcement activity concerning the accuracy of a stated country, territory or place of origin on goods offered for sale.
Please include cases whether the allegation was ultimately substantiated or not.
If exact figures are unavailable, please provide the nearest available recorded figures and explain any limitations.
* If information is not held, please state "Information not held", rather than leaving a response blank or putting ‘0’ in a table cell.
Question 1: Complaints and Investigations
How many complaints, referrals or intelligence reports relating to suspected country-of-origin mislabelling were recorded?
How many distinct cases relating to suspected country-of-origin mislabelling were recorded for investigation?
Complaints / referrals / intelligence reports
Answer:
2023/24: 1
2024/25: 1
2025/26: 2
Cases recorded for investigation
Answer:
2023/24: 1
2024/25: 1
2025/26: 2
Question 2: Enforcement activity
How many enforcement actions relating to country-of-origin mislabelling were recorded by your authority?
Please provide a breakdown using the categories recorded by your authority.
e.g. Advice letters
Warning letters
Compliance notices
Product seizures
Formal cautions
Civil enforcement actions
Criminal prosecutions commenced
Convictions obtained
Total fines imposed by courts (£)
Other (please specify)
Answer:
2023/24: Nil
2024/25: One Protected Geographical Indication audit concerning Herefordshire Cider, resulting in the grant of a Certificate of Compliance
2025/26: Nil
No advice letters, warning letters, compliance notices, product seizures, formal cautions, civil enforcement actions, criminal prosecutions, convictions or court fines were recorded in relation to these cases.
Question 3: Occupied Palestinian Territories (OPT) and Israeli settlement cases
If recorded, of the complaints and investigations actions reported in Question 1, how many related to products originating from or suspected of originating from:
the Occupied Palestinian Territories (OPT);
Israeli settlements located within the OPT; or
* goods described as originating from "West Bank", "Palestine", "Occupied Palestinian Territories", "Israeli Settlement" or similar wording?
Complaints / referrals / intelligence reports
Investigations opened
Enforcement actions
Answer:
Of the matters reported in Question 1, one complaint recorded in 2023/24 fell within the scope of this question.
The recorded figures are:
Complaints, referrals or intelligence reports: 1
Investigations opened: Nil
Enforcement actions: Nil
The complaint was unsubstantiated because evidence of purchase was not provided to the investigating officer. No investigation was opened and no enforcement action was possible.
Question 4: Enforcement activity related to Occupied Palestinian Territories (OPT) and Israeli settlement cases
If recorded, of the enforcement activity reported in Question 2, how many related to products originating from or suspected of originating from:
the Occupied Palestinian Territories (OPT);
Israeli settlements located within the OPT; or
* goods described as originating from "West Bank", "Palestine", "Occupied Palestinian Territories", "Israeli Settlement" or similar wording,
please provide a breakdown of cases using the categories recorded by your authority.
e.g. Advice letters
Warning letters
Compliance notices
Product seizures
Formal cautions
Civil enforcement actions
Criminal prosecutions commenced
Convictions obtained
Total fines imposed by courts (£)
Other (please specify)
Answer:
No enforcement activity relating to the complaint identified in Question 3 was recorded.
The figures are therefore:
2023/24: Nil
2024/25: Nil
2025/26: Nil
No advice letters, warning letters, compliance notices, product seizures, formal cautions, civil enforcement actions, criminal prosecutions, convictions, court fines or other enforcement actions were recorded.
Question 5: DEFRA Technical Advice Guidance
If recorded, how many recorded complaints, referrals, investigations or enforcement actions referenced compliance with the DEFRA 2009 Technical Advice Guidance concerning produce originating from the Occupied Palestinian Territories?
Complaints / referrals / intelligence reports
Investigations opened
Enforcement actions
If any such cases were recorded, please provide a brief summary of the outcome of each case (with suitable redactions).
Answer:
No activity relating to DEFRA Technical Advice guidance is recorded.
The figures are therefore:
Complaints, referrals or intelligence reports: Nil
Investigations opened: Nil
Enforcement actions: Nil
Question 6: Proactive compliance activity
During any of the above financial years, did your authority undertake any proactive inspection, sampling, survey, project or compliance exercise specifically intended to assess the accuracy of origin labelling relating to:
Occupied Palestinian Territories produce; or
Israeli settlement produce?
If yes, please provide the number of exercises recorded and a brief summary of the activity and outcome where this information is readily available.
Answer:
The Council did not undertake any proactive inspection, sampling, survey, project or compliance exercise during the specified financial years that was specifically intended to assess the accuracy of origin labelling relating to:
produce from the Occupied Palestinian Territories; or
produce from Israeli settlements.
Question 7: Guidance and Procedures
If held and readily available through normal electronic searches, please provide copies of any guidance, policy documents, operational procedures, briefing notes or training materials used by officers when assessing:
country-of-origin claims generally; and/or
origin labelling relating to the Occupied Palestinian Territories or Israeli settlements.
Answer:
The Council does not hold specific internal guidance, policy documents, operational procedures, briefing notes or training materials within the scope of this question.
Officers refer to established published resources, including:
Business Companion guidance on the labelling of prepacked foods:
Food Standards Agency guidance on country-of-origin food labelling:
https://www.gov.uk/guidance/food-labelling-country-of-origin
Relevant legislation:
https://www.legislation.gov.uk/
As such we consider this information to be exempt under Section 21 of the Freedom of Information Act 2000 because it is reasonably accessible to you
Question 8: Business Guidance
In any of the above financial years, has your authority issued guidance, advice, warnings, newsletters or educational material to businesses concerning country-of-origin labelling requirements?
If yes, please provide copies or links to the material if readily available through normal electronic searches.
Answer:
Please see the attached leaflet,“ETS963 – Trader Information Leaflet – PGIs” as Herefordshire Council is the Control Body who audits applicants against the protected food name spec. The use of the descriptions: Herefordshire Cider or Herefordshire Perry; Worcestershire Cider or Worcestershire Perry ; Gloucestershire Cider or Gloucestershire Perry
The Council also refers businesses to established published guidance, including:
Business Companion guidance on the labelling of prepacked foods:
Food Standards Agency guidance on country-of-origin food labelling:
https://www.gov.uk/guidance/food-labelling-country-of-origin
DEFRA – Protected Geographical Food and Drink Names: UK GI Schemes
https://www.gov.uk/guidance/protected-geographical-food-and-drink-names-uk-gi-schemes
As such we consider this information to be exempt under Section 21 of the Freedom of Information Act 2000 because it is reasonably accessible to you.
Documents
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