New food industry health labelling seriously flawed
08 February 2006
The National Heart Forum has major reservations about the announcement by five of the UK's biggest food manufacturers Kellogg's, Danone, Kraft, Nestle and PepsiCo have decided to put Guideline Daily Amounts (GDA) on the front of their packaging.
National Heart Forum Chief Executive Paul Lincoln said "The good news is that at last the food industry is beginning to do something but it is not the breakthrough we were hoping for. It is essential that if we are to address the growing prevalence of diet related illness that consumers develop a better understanding of diet and nutrition. The bad news is that the front-of-pack labelling scheme that has been adopted is not the one that independent research by the Food Standards Agency (FSA) has shown to be the most effective. It is no co-incidence that the scheme has been introduced just prior to the final decision on the best scheme for the public by the independent Food Standards Agency. Could this be because the scheme most likely to be approved by the government would affect these companies' sales and profits, so introducing their own GDAs is the 'least worst option'?"
The major flaw in the scheme adopted by the food producers is that it does not readily help consumers discriminate between healthy and unhealthy alternatives which the FSA's preferred scheme does. The industry scheme uses an ad hoc range of colours, primarily because the industry does not want to see red coloured "eat less" food markers on their products.
The industry scheme complicates communications by using unnecessary numbers which are in some instances misleading and unhelpful and may even confuse the public. The scientific basis for their use has yet to be substantiated as there is no published peer reviewed research to support their usage. The scheme that tested best under the FSA's thorough and independently conducted research with consumers, was a traffic-light coded scheme (red, yellow and green) that clearly identified foods which are high, medium and low in fat, sugar and salt.
Sir Alexander Macara, Chairman of the National Heart Forum, says: "It's a pity that the food industry has jumped the gun and acted in this way, before the FSA give their objective and scientific advice. It's both disappointing and somewhat surprising that the food industry has done this, especially as it professes to cooperate fully with government and has been involved throughout the process of the development of the FSA labelling scheme. This is a flawed conversion to health labelling and a blatant move by the food industry to do what suits them, not their customer's best. The new food industry scheme is the 'least worst option', they must act to avert further criticism but they do not want falling sales."
In summary Paul Lincoln said "The food industry could make a real contribution to tackling diet related illness in this country it is unfortunate that this is way they have chosen to make it"
Background
The producers of foods high in sugar, salt and fat are under enormous pressure from consumers, NGOs, health organisations and the media to stop damaging the publics' health. Indeed the UK Government and the European Commission have put the industry on notice that they will regulate in 2007 in the absence of effective action by the industry.
Why is this the case? The UK has the fastest growing rate of childhood obesity in the European Union; it is only eight years behind the super obese and high diabetic levels of the US.
Guideline daily amounts (GDA)
The food industry is using a new concept developed by them called guideline daily amounts (GDA). National Heart Forum believe that the use of GDA's can be misleading to consumers for a wide variety of reasons.
They are not 'optimal' dietary standards; they are not Recommended Daily Amounts. They do not apply to already overweight people or most importantly take account of children's dietary needs. The application of GDA's as a public education device needs to be carefully considered and researched further. If GDA's are to be used by industry they need to be officially defined by the Food Standards Agency or Standing Advice Committee on Nutrition (SACN) and properly regulated.
Press Contacts
Please see our
Press Office for contact details.