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Rt. Hon. Sir Alan Beith MPLiberal Democrat Member of Parliament for Berwick Upon TweedWorking for you and the Berwick upon Tweed Constituency all year roundin Northumberland and in Westminster |
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New food labels won't go far enough - Fiona Hall MEP
June 18, 2010 12:00 AM
Liberal Democrat MEP Fiona Hall has welcomed today's European Parliament vote for mandatory food labelling. But she expressed disappointment at the failure to support a "traffic lights" system of colour-coding.
Euro MPs had to decide whether "traffic light labels", already widely seen in UK supermarkets, should be used on the front of packs for ready meals, processed convenience foods and many soft drinks.
Independent research shows that a system of colour-coding on the front of packs of processed food packaging which concisely displays whether the key nutrients of fat, saturated fats, sugars and salt - are high, medium or low with red, amber and green 'traffic lights', is best understood by consumers. However, large parts of the food industry have lobbied very successfully for a "Guideline Daily Amount" system arguing that a "traffic light" system would over-burden producers.
Said Fiona:
"Three-colour traffic lights are easy to understand for the hurried shopper.
"It's a real shame that this colour-coding scheme was rejected. Busy people want a quick guide in the supermarket aisle, not detail that takes longer to digest than the product."
"In a region where almost 10% of the population is obese, individuals should be empowered by easy to understand labels to improve their diets if they so wish."
"I welcome the fact that many suppliers and supermarket chains in the UK have already adopted the "traffic light" labels and will continue to work towards a UK-wide introduction of the scheme."
Commenting on the MEPs support of "country of provenance" labels for meat, dairy, fruit and vegetables, and single ingredient products, Fiona said:
"These new labels will ensure transparency in our food supply and allow people to make an informed choice about the food they buy.
"Many consumers have concerns about food quality, welfare standards and food miles. They now have the right to know where their food comes from and can make an informed choice.
"Too often in the past, food labelled as 'British' was produced in other countries and merely packaged in the UK. This abuse will now stop."
The Food Information to Consumers report was passed by a majority of MEPs. This is the First Reading stage of the legislation. Negotiations will continue in order to reach a final text which is agreed by both the European Parliament and the EU's 27 Environment Ministers.
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