Food Labelling Regulations

EDM number 1122 in 2009-10, proposed by Norman Lamb on 17/03/2010.
Categorised under the topics of Food and Regulation.

That this House believes that the presence of different types of front of pack (FOP) labelling schemes in the marketplace causes shoppers difficulties in using them; recognises that independent evaluations on nutrition labelling have found that a single scheme would be helpful for consumers and that an integrated FOP labelling approach providing the elements of a high/medium/low text, traffic light colour coding and percentage guideline daily amounts (% GDA) information was most effective in terms of consumer comprehension, consumer preference and enabling consumers to assess the healthiness of a product; shares the disappointment of organisations such as Which?, Cancer Research UK, Consensus Action on Salt and Health, Diabetes UK, the National Heart Forum, Sustain and ASDA over the Food Standards Agency recommendation to allow food manufacturers and retailers to provide just two of these three elements and that they may therefore choose not to include traffic light colour coding under the proposed new scheme; notes that this will create more rather than less confusion among consumers and thereby make it harder for people to make informed decisions about the foods they eat; and therefore calls on the Government to reject the Agency's advice and implement a single scheme that will work best for consumers by supporting the integrated high/medium/low, traffic light colour coding and %GDAFOP labelling approach.

This motion has been signed by a total of 27 MPs.