Big business lobbying defeats 'traffic light' labelling for food

Issued : Wednesday 16 June, 2010

Alcoholic beverages should also carry clear health labelling

Irish Labour MEP Nessa Childers has today condemned the massive €1b industry lobbying campaign against a new food labelling initiative, which was voted down today in Strasbourg.

Ms Childers said: "The 'traffic light' system, which is backed by health and consumer groups, is a simple, universally understood and transparent system that would help us tackle Europe's severe obesity, diabetes, stroke and heart disease problems. I am also disappointed that alcohol still escapes calorie labelling.

"In what must be one of the biggest lobbying efforts ever seen in Brussels, we have been bombarded with thousands of emails, letters and phone calls and sponsored reports, lectures and conferences on this single issue.

"Retailers such as Tesco and multinationals like Nestlé, Kelloggs, Danone, Kraft, and PepsiCo have refused to introduce it. They back their own rival scheme Guideline Daily Amounts, which expresses the nutrients as percentages of an adult's recommended daily intake. This GDA is impossible for most people to understand. It is too complex and arguably misleading.

"With my fellow Labour MEPs, as part of the parliament's second largest political grouping, we pushed for a simple new red, amber and green system to alert consumers to the nutritional value of certain products. The 'traffic light' approach also has the benefit of being understood even at a distance and those with literacy problems can also easily understand the principle.

"We wanted all ready-to-eat meals, pre-packed snacks, sandwiches and soft drinks labelled with calories, sugar, salt, fat and saturated fat on the front of pack, and on the back of pack - protein, carbohydrates, fibre and transfats. The stark fact is that 60% of all adults in the EU - and 20% of school-age children - are obese or overweight. The food and alcohol that Europeans consume has a direct on these figures.

"I am very disappointed that conservative MEPs bowed to this massive industry pressure while ignoring the consumer and health group calls for the 'traffic light' scheme at today's vote in Strasbourg. This will not serve Irish consumers with the best possible health information for themselves and their families."