Food will be one of the major challenges of the 21st century, the Labour Party reminded us today, as it published its food policy review.

Less a policy blueprint than a survey of areas to think about, the document contains a lot of suggestions most of us can get behind – training more people in food engineering, for example, or encouraging sustainable farming. And it hedges its bets on GM, conceding only that “it may have a role in UK food security and environmental protection”.

One area that has clearly caught Labour’s eye is that of protected name status for food. The UK has 55 protected food and drink products – everything from Kentish beer to Arbroath Smokies – but it lags behind the likes of Italy (254 products) and France (198). To reaffirm its interest in British foodie treats, Labour’s shadow farming minister Huw Irranca-Davies even held a ‘food fair’ at Westminster today to highlight such staples as Melton Mowbray pork pies and stilton Cheese.

So, why don’t we have more protected products in the UK? “It’s partly due to lack of government support and interest, [although this] is changing,” says Matthew O’Callaghan of the Melton Mowbray Pork Pie Association. “Also, large retailers don’t see the need for protected food name status. They perhaps want to make a product their own way.”

There are undoubtedly other issues too, including the difficulties of nailing down recipes that may be hundreds of years old. “People don’t want to give away their recipes,” says food historian and writer Catherine Brown. “But people don’t have to declare the precise recipe, so that can be overcome.” Brown does admit, however, that producers have to jump through quite a few hoops. “It will take several years. But that is necessary to ensure they’re getting [the product] right.”

Nigel White, chairman of the Stilton Cheesemakers’ Association, points out that Italy, France, Spain and Portugal have been registering their regional products for far longer than the EU scheme has existed – “they’ve had a pretty heavy headstart”.

Moreover, many of those individual producers are very small, White says. The UK, though it lags in terms of the number of protected products, is fourth on the list of EU countries in terms of drawing the most value from those products – around £1bn a year. “If you’re looking at the volume, we’re doing really well,” he says. “The challenge now is not getting more of these but educating consumers more about what benefits these products bring.” Those benefits, supporters claim, include traceability, protection of traditional skills, and a boost to local economies.

There are plenty more products in the queue seeking protected status – and this number may only increase if, as O’Callaghan and Brown believe, British consumers really are waking up to the importance of quality local produce. “They’ve cottoned on to the fact there are British regional and national traditions in food that are worth preserving,” Brown says, who cites the example of Charles MacLeod, which has seen a “huge increase in sales” since its Stornoway black pudding was protected in May. This growing awareness is backed by a recent survey by Mintel, which found a slight increase in people’s interest in food of local origin.

So there’s a case to be made for protecting more regional produce. Likewise SMEs and community ‘food webs’ – all mentioned in Labour’s somewhat grassroots, foodie vision – have a part to play. But the Nestlés, Mondelezes and Unilevers need to be part of the debate as well – and there’s barely a mention of their role in today’s policy review. If we’re to take stock of our food future, we’ll have to think about them, too.

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