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Nutrition Labelling and Signposting Schemes

Policy Position

FDF is committed to working constructively with FSA on more informative nutrition labelling. FDF believes that labelling should be objective, to allow consumers to interpret it in relation to their own requirements, and consistent with the concept of encouraging consumers to achieve a balanced diet within the context of their personal lifestyle.

FDF objects to the use of red, amber and green colour coding to categorise products as ‘high’ ‘medium’ or ‘low’ in fat, sugar and salt. This could mislead consumers as ‘traffic lights’ fail to take account of portion sizes and the consumption of a particular food in the context of the whole daily diet.

FDF supports the use of GDAs as a more objective way of providing nutritional information which helps consumers construct a healthy, balanced diet and welcomes its member’s ongoing move to put GDA information on the front of pack.

To date there are over 93 adopters of the GDA labelling scheme: View list of companies adopting GDA labelling (pdf, 37kb). FDF is continuing to canvas those companies that have not yet declared a labelling approach.

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Background

Food labelling is harmonised at EU level under the Labelling Directive 2000/13/EC and the Nutrition Labelling Directive 90/496/EC. Historically, there was legal requirement to provide on-pack nutrition information unless a nutrition claim was made, but most UK food businesses provide this voluntarily according to the prescribed EU format. Many also label salt equivalence and Guideline Daily Amounts (GDAs). Currently Member States are prohibited from laying down more detailed requirements.

The Government’s Food and Health Action Plan committed FSA to developing ‘a clear front-of-pack (FoP) indicator (signpost) to help consumers identify foods to be eaten plentifully, in moderation or sparingly’. FSA research and consultation responses indicate that the four key elements for a successful FoP signposting scheme are:

• separate information on fat, saturated fat, total sugars and salt
• use of red, amber and green colour coding for each of these nutrients
• use of nutritional criteria developed by an authoritative body such as FSA
• provision of information on the levels of nutrients present in a portion of the product.

FSA has recommended that industry adopts these four key elements for their own FoP schemes. To date, about 30 companies have committed to using ‘traffic light’ colour coding, with a large number of these adopting ‘traffic light’ colour coding in combination with GDAs (see FSA webbsite: Traffic light labelling ).

At European level, FDF has worked with CIAA to develop a voluntary Nutrition Labelling Scheme for European food and drink manufacturers based on a uniform list of nutrients, nutrition information per serving and the introduction of GDAs.

On 16 June MEPs voted in plenary in the European Parliament on the Food Information Proposal. MEPs supported GDAs on a mandatory basis and energy front of pack; FDF members have long supported GDA labelling as the best way to help consumers make informed choices about the food they buy, and we are pleased to see MEPs have backed this approach.

There is still much work to be done, however this is a big step to providing consumers with the correct labelling scheme. This is only the first step in a lengthy process to agree the Regulation. The Council is also negotiating the dossier, and the European Parliament is due to have a second reading in spring 2011. So we expect the Regulation to be adopted in summer 2011 with a three to five-year transition period for the new requirements.

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