A Sydney-based health institute has criticised the Australian Food and Grocery Council for launching a campaign to promote the Daily Intake Guide system soon after recommendations in favour of traffic light labelling were made in the Labelling Logic report.
The George Institute for Global Health said the launch of AFGC’s campaign was a direct attempt by Industry to subvert the traffic light labelling scheme from being implemented.
The AFGC rejected the use of traffic light labelling on food and beverage products, saying it was “badly understood” by consumers.
“It’s very disappointing to see the food industry act in this way,” Professor Bruce Neal at the George Institute for Global Health said. "The Blewett report clearly recommends some form of interpretive front-of-pack labelling highlighting whether foods have high or low levels of salt, fat and other key nutrients.
“Government is going to have to take a much stronger role in policing the food industry if it ignores the consensus and tries to steamroller its way through.”
Prof Neal said it was in fact the Daily Intake Guide which was “complex” and “difficult to understand.”
“There is no evidence that [the DIG] helps consumers make quick decisions about which is the healthiest product to buy,” Prof Neal said.
“Easy-to-understand front of pack labelling would help consumers make the right choices. It would also encourage food companies to reformulate their products so they don’t have to show red warning labels – something that the Daily Intake Guide is unlikely to achieve.”
Proposals for the adoption of traffic light labelling in Europe were recently overturned by a massive industry lobbying campaign, despite being identified as the best option for helping consumers make healthier choices.
“The absolute determination of the Australian food industry to avoid traffic light [labelling] is probably the surest indicator of their potential impact” said Prof Neal. “This AFGC campaign flouting the Blewett Report shows the lengths that industry is prepared to go to.”
The George Institute for Global Health is establishing a global food composition monitoring group to ensure that companies are held to account on nutrient levels in foods.