A third of all Scottish consumers question the accuracy of food labels and more than a quarter find labels difficult to understand, according to Food Standards Agency (Scotland) research. To offer the public the opportunity to voice their concerns the FSA is hosting an open forum on food labelling in Stirling, Scotland on Friday 15 June. The Agency claims that this is part of a move to tackle labelling problems so that people can make more informed choices about the food they eat. Pamela Reid, FSA Scotland's Head of Food Standards, Diet and Nutrition, said:"Promoting honest and informative labelling to help consumers is one of the FSA's key priorities for the next five years and the Food Labelling Forum is an integral part of involving as many stakeholders as possible in the process. A recent survey of consumers by the Agency found that in Scotland: 55 per cent of people refer to food labels on a frequent basis; 27 per cent find labels difficult to understand; 33 per cent have concerns about the accuracy of food labels; 68 per cent check best before and use-by dates on labels but 63 per cent do not know that food should be thrown away after the use-by date. Comprehension of what is a significant level of fat, sugar and p salt proved to be variable and general understanding of ingredient labelling was poor. The Food Standards Agency has agreed a Labelling Action Plan, which includes commitments such as pressing the EU for clearer rules on country of origin labelling and working with consumer groups, enforcement authorities and the food industry to look at how the Agency might promote and share best practice on the promotion of foods to children. Food Standards Agency Scotland
