Australian health organisations have co-signed a letter from consumer advocacy group CHOICE. They are urging the Australian Federal Government to adopt the traffic light front-of-pack food labelling scheme and not to be swayed by industry bodies – whose primary interest is the pursuit of profits.
Earlier this year a review of food labelling in Australia and New Zealand recommended a traffic light system on the front of packaged food. It said:
That a multiple traffic lights front-of-pack labelling system be introduced. Such a system to be voluntary in the first instance, except where general or high level health claims are made or equivalent endorsements/trade names/marks appear on the label, in which case it should be mandatory.
Most food manufacturers are fiercely opposing this recommendation. Sanitarium is the exception. It has developed a system similar to traffic lights after its research found colour-coded systems were most effective in informing consumer choice.
Read more about the call for action, AusFood News, 28 Oct 2011
Find out why FOE likes a traffic light food labelling system.