The Politician's Story - about GDAs

Philip Bushill-Matthews, MEP for West Midlands, Leader of the UK Conservative Delegation

Philip Bushill-Matthews MEP British manufacturers and retailers are leading the way in the field of food labelling.

UK consumers' understanding of GDAs and their advised energy intake has been shown to influence their food purchasing decisions which should lead in the longer term to a healthier, less obese population. This is an excellent achievement and the industry together with health professionals should congratulate themselves on their important contribution.

Here in the EU we are catching up and are currently engaged in an impassioned debate about how best to face the common challenges of improving public health while providing a realistic legal framework to producers and manufacturers across Europe and sending European consumers a clear message.

The European debate centres on what system will be most effective whether this be mandatory front of pack labelling, colour-coded or interpretative, based on GDAs, portion size or 100g.

To me what is important is that whatever decision is made it should be evidence based: that it is understood by consumers and can encourage them to make healthier, more informed choices.

Consumers travel and shop all over Europe but this does not mean they want to compromise their healthy eating when they do. In the same way manufacturers and retailers hoping to compete in the common market need to work with one set of rules that apply across the 27 member states.

The trick will be to establish rules that are simple and clear – and in this respect the UK is seen to have been leading the way.