19.06.13
Consistent food labelling to tackle consumer confusion
A new consistent nutritional labelling system has been launched to help make it easier for people to make healthier diet choices.
Standardised labels on food will combine traffic light colour-coding with nutritional information showing fat, saturated fat, salt, sugar and calories contained in each product. It will allow similar foods to be compared quickly, with small changes in diet potentially reducing the burden of disease.
Businesses that have signed up to the scheme account for over 60% of all food sold in the UK. The system has been developed with the Government, food industry and health NGOs.
Public health minister Anna Soubry said: “The UK already has the largest number of products using a front of pack label in Europe but we know that people get confused by the variety of labels that are used. Research shows that, of all the current schemes, people like this label the most and they can use the information to make healthier choices.
“We all have a responsibility to tackle the challenge of obesity, including the food industry. By having all major retailers and manufacturers signed up to the consistent label, we will all be able to see at a glance what is in our food – this is why I want to see more manufacturers signing up and using the label.”
The Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health’s officer for health promotion, Professor Mitch Blair, said: “With a four-fold increase in the number of children being admitted to hospital with obesity related illnesses, it’s clear that the UK’s obesity problem isn’t getting any slimmer, and worryingly, it’s now affecting people at an even earlier age.
“Clear and consistent labelling of food is certainly a step in the right direction and is an issue on which the RCPCH, as part of the Academy of Medical Royal Colleges, has been campaigning. People need to know what is in the food they’re buying so it’s easier to make healthier choices – and equally, manufacturers and retailers may think more carefully about how their food is formulated.
“But labelling alone will not be enough to change the majority of buying habits and the responsibility of industry does not stop here. We have to look at reducing the consumption of unhealthy foods by measures such as taxation of sugary drinks, responsible advertising that doesn’t target children and ensuring healthy foods are readily available and affordable.
“Tackling obesity required collective action and responsibility of all of us; of industry, government, the healthcare profession and individuals. We have to take today’s positive step and run with it – but not lose sight of the fact that the finish line is still a long way off.”
Simon Gillespie, chief executive at the British Heart Foundation, said: “This is undeniably a first-class scheme that will make it easier for shoppers to scan the shelves and make more informed choices about what’s going in their trolley.
“High levels of diet-related chronic diseases in the UK, including heart disease, mean it’s essential we have clear and consistent food labeling so people can make healthy choices.
“We’re delighted all the major supermarkets are committed to the scheme and look forward to more food manufacturers signing up.”
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