Food Labelling - we support traffic light labelling
A vote in the European Parliament on food labelling has now
taken place. Sadly the
amendments on traffic light labels were rejected. The
food industry put a considerable amount of
pressure on MEPs to vote against clear front of pack labels and it
seems to have paid off.
Email your MP
Ask your MP to sign Early Day Motion (EDM) 515 on traffic light
food labelling using our quick
online letter. EDMs are a way for MPs to
publicly show their support for an issue.
By signing this EDM your MP can show their support for a
clear easy to understand labelling system and
also, their concern for the way the vote went in
the European Parliament.
Food labels are vital in helping people make quick
decisions about what foods they buy.
An unhealthy diet is a key factor in causing
obesity and increases the risk of developing
heart disease, type 2 diabetes
and some types of cancer.
We believe that a traffic light labelling
system is key to helping people make
informed choices as it provides a clear
guide about the level of fat,
saturated fat, sugar and salt in products which
are highly processed like ready meals. We would like to
see labelling each nutrient as either:
- Red - (high) means
'enjoy it once in a while'
- Amber - (medium)
means 'OK most of the time'
- Green - (low) means
'go for it'
These labels are supported by
independent research from the Food Standards Agency,
which found that people prefer clear and
consistent front of pack food labelling systems, including
traffic lights, Guideline Daily Amounts
(GDAs) and using terms like high,
medium and
low.
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