‘Traffic light’ food labelling rejected by MEPs

CONSUMER groups have voiced dismay after MEPs rejected the most popular form of food nutrition labelling – a “traffic-light” colour coding system already in wide use.

Instead the European Parliament voted for an alternative system of Guideline Daily Amounts (GDAs), in the wake of intense food industry lobbying.

The European Consumers’ group BEUC accused MEPs of caving in to pressure by rejecting what the organisation says is the simplest and most informative advice on healthy eating.

The traffic light system involves marking food packaging with red, amber or green symbols depending on the levels of sugar, fat and salt in the contents.

BEUC says it has been endorsed by consumer groups, public health organisations and doctors, and is already in use in some of Europe’s major supermarkets.

Monique Goyens, director general of BEUC, said: “Despite being presented with a wealth of independent research confirming that the vast majority of consumers wanted the colour coding system, MEPs have mystifyingly voted against it.

“There is no doubt that today’s vote is a very, very serious setback.”

MEPs have faced intensive lobbying by sectors of the food industry which claim the system is so simplistic that products could be shunned on the basis of one “red” reading for one ingredient which overshadows more positive health ratings for other contents.

The leader of Britain’s Labour MEPs, Glenis Willmott, said the plan for a system of traffic-light labels had produced “a storm of lobbying activity” including, she claimed, “the circulation of false and misleading information about the proposals”.

“If we’re serious about tackling heart disease and obesity, we have to help people understand how much salt, fat and sugar is in their food.

“That’s particularly true for products like ready meals and pre-packed sandwiches where the label is the only way of knowing how healthy something is.”

But the GDA scheme which was approved would mean food would have to show its calorie, sugar, salt and fat content on the front of packs.

Labels would also show the place of provenance of all forms of meat, not just beef or fish, as at present.

After today’s vote the issue now goes back to EU government ministers for more negotiations.