TRADING standards officers are calling for tougher controls on the sale of food over the internet after finding that half the items they bought during a survey failed British labelling laws.

The Durham County Council team bought 50 products - including several unusual foreign items such as chocolate-covered scorpions and Russian caviar - from auction sites and individual traders, but not mainstream supermarkets.

Of these, 24 did not comply with labelling laws. Six were not in English, one jar of coffee did not include the word coffee, and 13 did not carry the name and address of the manufacturer or seller.

Two products that the team paid for failed to arrive.

Phillip Holman, head of trading standards, said poor labelling made it virtually impossible for people to complain, especially if the seller could not be traced.

"The results of the survey, funded by the Food Standards Agency (FSA), highlighted concerns over the policing of internet food sellers," he said.

"Non-complying labels could be fatal to those with nut or fish allergies.

"This work is another way of helping to protect both consumers and the integrity of our food chain.

"Whatever the source, consumers must be able to make safe and informed choices about the food they eat, confident in the knowledge that no harm will come to them.

"This is an area of enforcement work that we will enthusiastically continue to develop with partners," said Mr Holman.

Council cabinet member for trading standards, Alan Cox, said: "Tighter controls are needed on internet auction sites selling food. There are thousands of foodstuffs on offer, equivalent to a huge global supermarket.

"These items are constantly changing and much of it comes from outside the UK and the European Union. It's very difficult to ensure the public is properly protected.

"Internet shopping has seen massive growth, but this research shows that many shoppers are unable to make an informed decision about the food they are buying.

"We also want to ensure online traders do not have an unfair trading advantage over high street shops."

The FSA gives guidance on buying food over the internet on its website www.food.gov.uk