Comments on: Labour on food traffic lights http://www.irishelection.com/2007/01/labour-on-food-traffic-lights/ Coverage of Irish Politics, News and Current Affairs Thu, 09 Feb 2012 19:43:54 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.5 By: Waterfire http://www.irishelection.com/2007/01/labour-on-food-traffic-lights/comment-page-1/#comment-11307 Waterfire Fri, 26 Jan 2007 11:53:32 +0000 http://www.irishelection.com/01/labour-on-food-traffic-lights/#comment-11307 Research finds fatal flaw in industry's food labelling scheme 03/01/2007 New research by the Children's Food Campaign has shown just how flawed the food industry's 'percent of Guideline Daily Amount (GDA)' labelling scheme is. Using figures from the [UK] Department for Education's Skills for Life survey our researchers found that almost half of all adults (47 percent) lack the numerical skills to use the percentages used in industry's labelling scheme (see note one).   This research helps explain why the Food Standards Agency, when it compared its own 'traffic-light' labelling model against industry's 'percent of GDA' labels, found that: 62% of people misunderstood 'percent of GDA' labels.  In comparison, only 21% misunderstood the 'traffic light' labels recommended by the Food Standards Agency. 42% of consumers said that 'percent of GDA' labels were too complicated.  'Percent of GDA' labels took at least 3 seconds longer per item for individuals to interpret. This research is published as both the food industry and the Food Standards Agency embark on major advertising campaigns to support the competing food labelling systems.  Companies, such as Danone, Kellogg's, Kraft, Nestle and PepsiCo have also been heavily lobbying MPs to support the 'percent of GDA' system.   Richard Watts, Co-ordinator of the Children's Food Campaign, said: "The food industry will be aware that their new labels will be useless to almost half of adults. and most children, who simply lack the complex mathematical skills to interpret them.  It is no wonder that the public find traffic light food labels simpler and easier to use."   He continued:  "I fear industry's system was designed only to give the appearance of action in the face of the current crisis in diet related ill-health, but at the same time, avoid using the red labels that might actually discourage people from eating junk food.  Powerful companies, such as Kellogg's, have been vigorously lobbying MPs to support this unclear and unhelpful system which will do nothing to help stop the rise of childhood obesity, but will help to protect their profits".   The Children's Food Campaign will be writing to all MPs and British MEPs with a fact-sheet (download as 64kb PDF), which outlines our findings.   Ends. http://www.sustainweb.org/news.php?id=169 Research finds fatal flaw in industry’s food labelling scheme
03/01/2007
New research by the Children’s Food Campaign has shown just how flawed the food industry’s ‘percent of Guideline Daily Amount (GDA)’ labelling scheme is.
Using figures from the [UK] Department for Education’s Skills for Life survey our researchers found that almost half of all adults (47 percent) lack the numerical skills to use the percentages used in industry’s labelling scheme (see note one).
 
This research helps explain why the Food Standards Agency, when it compared its own ‘traffic-light’ labelling model against industry’s ‘percent of GDA’ labels, found that:
62% of people misunderstood ‘percent of GDA’ labels.  In comparison, only 21% misunderstood the ‘traffic light’ labels recommended by the Food Standards Agency.
42% of consumers said that ‘percent of GDA’ labels were too complicated. 
‘Percent of GDA’ labels took at least 3 seconds longer per item for individuals to interpret.
This research is published as both the food industry and the Food Standards Agency embark on major advertising campaigns to support the competing food labelling systems.  Companies, such as Danone, Kellogg’s, Kraft, Nestle and PepsiCo have also been heavily lobbying MPs to support the ‘percent of GDA’ system.
 
Richard Watts, Co-ordinator of the Children’s Food Campaign, said: “The food industry will be aware that their new labels will be useless to almost half of adults. and most children, who simply lack the complex mathematical skills to interpret them.  It is no wonder that the public find traffic light food labels simpler and easier to use.”
 
He continued:  “I fear industry’s system was designed only to give the appearance of action in the face of the current crisis in diet related ill-health, but at the same time, avoid using the red labels that might actually discourage people from eating junk food.  Powerful companies, such as Kellogg’s, have been vigorously lobbying MPs to support this unclear and unhelpful system which will do nothing to help stop the rise of childhood obesity, but will help to protect their profits”.
 
The Children’s Food Campaign will be writing to all MPs and British MEPs with a fact-sheet (download as 64kb PDF), which outlines our findings.
 
Ends.
http://www.sustainweb.org/news.php?id=169

]]> By: Keith http://www.irishelection.com/2007/01/labour-on-food-traffic-lights/comment-page-1/#comment-11302 Keith Fri, 26 Jan 2007 11:23:14 +0000 http://www.irishelection.com/01/labour-on-food-traffic-lights/#comment-11302 That's a joint Labour-FG policy, btw. Not just Labour. And I'd completely agree with Dan that most people do not know that "sodium" on a nutrition label means salt. There's a secondary issue, too, which is that people (including me, a well educated person with an IQ well into the genius level and several third level qualifications) don't know how much of each nutritional element they should take each day. I know that sodium is around 1600mg/day (although the Yanks disagree and say 2400mg), but I've no idea how much riboflavin or phosphorous I should be taking. This is a good idea. If the packaging can indicate at a quick glance whether the salt, for example, levels in two similar products differ significantly, then I'm going to take the one that's better for me. It might not make me stop eating Frosties, but it might make me choose Kellacks' Frost-Flakes, with half the sugar, instead. That’s a joint Labour-FG policy, btw. Not just Labour.

And I’d completely agree with Dan that most people do not know that “sodium” on a nutrition label means salt. There’s a secondary issue, too, which is that people (including me, a well educated person with an IQ well into the genius level and several third level qualifications) don’t know how much of each nutritional element they should take each day. I know that sodium is around 1600mg/day (although the Yanks disagree and say 2400mg), but I’ve no idea how much riboflavin or phosphorous I should be taking.
This is a good idea. If the packaging can indicate at a quick glance whether the salt, for example, levels in two similar products differ significantly, then I’m going to take the one that’s better for me. It might not make me stop eating Frosties, but it might make me choose Kellacks’ Frost-Flakes, with half the sugar, instead.

]]> By: Al Payne http://www.irishelection.com/2007/01/labour-on-food-traffic-lights/comment-page-1/#comment-11297 Al Payne Fri, 26 Jan 2007 10:59:03 +0000 http://www.irishelection.com/01/labour-on-food-traffic-lights/#comment-11297 Just shows how out of touch all these 'robots' in Dail Eireann are! They are all trying to come up with an innovative way of impressing the voter instead of tackling the real problems out there. How can we vote for any of them? Just shows how out of touch all these ‘robots’ in Dail Eireann are! They are all trying to come up with an innovative way of impressing the voter instead of tackling the real problems out there. How can we vote for any of them?

]]> By: Dan Sullivan http://www.irishelection.com/2007/01/labour-on-food-traffic-lights/comment-page-1/#comment-11296 Dan Sullivan Fri, 26 Jan 2007 10:58:53 +0000 http://www.irishelection.com/01/labour-on-food-traffic-lights/#comment-11296 Actually Simon, I wouldn't be surprised if a very large part of the population who are overweight don't know that sodium = salt. And I say that both as a engineer and a tab of lard myself. I think the tone of the document is wrong but the idea itself is fine. And I wonder about Mary Coughlan's response http://www.unison.ie/irish_independent/stories.php3?ca=39&si=1763763&issue_id=15173 She says "as it would label healthy foods such as cheese with a red light" Well, cheese is high in fat. We shouldn't eat too much of it. I think this is another good illustration of the conflict we have when we have a department of Agriculture which is focused on the producers interests, and not a department of Food which would be more focused on the citizenry's interests. Actually Simon, I wouldn’t be surprised if a very large part of the population who are overweight don’t know that sodium = salt. And I say that both as a engineer and a tab of lard myself.

I think the tone of the document is wrong but the idea itself is fine. And I wonder about Mary Coughlan’s response http://www.unison.ie/irish_independent/stories.php3?ca=39&si=1763763&issue_id=15173

She says “as it would label healthy foods such as cheese with a red light” Well, cheese is high in fat. We shouldn’t eat too much of it. I think this is another good illustration of the conflict we have when we have a department of Agriculture which is focused on the producers interests, and not a department of Food which would be more focused on the citizenry’s interests.

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