Retailer condemns misleading labelling
on misleading food labels - underlining the link between unhealthy
eating and inappropriate labels.
A UK supermarket chain is calling for the government to crack down on misleading food labels - underlining the link between unhealthy eating and inappropriate labels.
The Co-op supermarket writes in a statement this week that it ' accuses its own industry of hoodwinking consumers with misleading health claims.'The news will be welcomed by consumer organisations in the UK who have, for sometime, been pushing for changes in the labelling of both childrens' and adult foods.
The Co-op, together with research body Sustain, have published a report this week calling for a radical re-think of the regulations governing the nutrition labelling of products, which it says, allows some companies to confuse consumers.
"They [food manufacturers and retailers] can exploit the nutrition labelling regulations to hide the real nutritional value of their products, and where nutrition information is given, consumers are baffled because of regulations governing the way it is presented.
Wendy Wrigley, General Manager, Retail Brands, the Co-operative Group, said: "We think it is misleading to claim a product has a health or nutrition benefit, when in fact its contribution to a healthy diet is negligible or worse."
Clearly prepared to set an example the supermarket chain is to launch a new pilot scheme for food labelling. "To get the ball rolling the Co-op will defy current nutrition labelling regulations to road test a new-look consumer-friendly label on Co-op Brand beefburgers and jam roly-poly pudding, available in most Co-op stores," the company said in statement. Changes will include:re-ordering of the 'Full Eight' to put important information up front; calories not joules (most consumers do not understand Joules claims the Co-op); 'Full Eight' plus one: contribution, or, as importantly, lack of contribution, of the product to the recommended five portions of fruit and vegetables per day; high, medium and low information about each nutrient; salt content shown, not sodium content; flashes on front of pack, showing calories, fat and salt.
Quite how retail peers of the Co-op as well as food manufacturers will welcome the move is less evident. At the time of writing the UK food and drink federation had not yet issued a statement.
"We're calling on food companies and retailers to join our campaign to sweep misleading labels off the shelves once and for all," the Co-op concluded.
