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1/06/2007

Food fat claims to be based on fact as obesity levels rise

Shoppers faced with a confusing array of health claim labels on food can be more confident of what they are putting into their trolley thanks to EU legislation being introduced next month.

The nutritional and health claims regulation will in time mean health and nutritional claims on food packaging has to be scientifically justified, increasing consumer confidence as concerns over diet and obesity levels, particularly amongst children, rise.

Next week in the European Parliament in Brussels, two reports on addition of vitamins and minerals to food and nutritional health claims will tidy up legislation due to come into force in the UK in July.
The regulation will ensure a common definition for low fat, low sugar and reduced calorie labels and health claims, such as food increasing concentration or lowering cholesterol, will require approval based on science.

The issue of food labelling has grown alongside waistlines in the obesity epidemic faced by the UK, among other countries.

Junk food and a lack of exercise have left almost 22 million schoolchildren in Europe overweight - and that figure is growing by a shocking 400,000 each year.

Jonathan Evans said: "This long-awaited legislation will mean consumers can have confidence that claims on food labels are backed up by science. Definitions will also be uniform on food labels across the EU. It's good for business and good for the consumer. We have avoided outright bans and are giving consumers the information they need to make informed choices."

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