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Food Industry Welcomes Australian Government Attitude
Food Industry Welcomes Australian Government Attitude
New Zealand’s Food Industry Group (FIG) welcomes the Australian Government’s intention to work with the food industry on a consistent approach to nutritional information on packaging, rather than impose “traffic light labelling” on manufacturers.
The Australian Government’s position was confirmed recently by the Hon Catherine King, Minister for Health &Ageing, in response to a trans-Tasman review of Food Labelling Law & Policy.
FIG Vice-Chairman, Lindsay Mouat believes partnership with industry is the most efficient and effective way forward on the issue of nutritional labelling.
“When it comes to nutritional guidelines for consumers, there are many strengths in the existing, industry-developed “% daily intake” guide,” he said.
“These strengths can be enhanced by building consumer awareness and understanding. An educational programme may achieve significantly more than tinkering with labelling systems when it is incredibly difficult and costly to find one system that serves all needs.
“There are many flaws with traffic light labelling’s simplistic Red/Orange/Green approach. For example, milk might display a red indicator, sending a confusing message to those sectors of the population who really need to consume greater quantities of the product.”
The Australian Government will take its position to the next meeting of Australian and New Zealand representatives at the Legislative and Governance Forum on Food Regulation on 9th December.
About the Food Industry Group (FIG)
FIG is an industry body which assists food companies in working with Government and the community to find ways to help solve the obesity issue in New Zealand.
FIG’s members include those of the New Zealand Food and Grocery Council (FGC), the Association of New Zealand Advertisers (ANZA), the Communications Agencies Association of New Zealand (CAANZ), Think TV and other media, Progressive Enterprises and Foodstuffs New Zealand.
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