Food Labelling Regulations (Hansard, 9 September 2004)

§ The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Health (Lord Warner)
My Lords, no. Current rules on nutrition labelling require only that the quantity of fat, salt or sugar is declared if a nutrition claim, such as low fat, is made. The Government already recommend that the labels of all pre-packaged foods should carry full nutrition information, including levels of fat, salt and sugar, irrespective of whether nutrition claims are made. Many manufacturers and retailers already follow this advice.
Future plans for food labelling will be set out in the White Paper on improving people's health, due for publication this autumn. We support and welcome the forthcoming EC proposal to improve nutrition labelling so that consumers are able to make better informed choices about the food that they buy. Meanwhile, the Food Standards Agency is developing a system of signposting foods high in fat, salt and sugar, and healthier choices, which can be used in retail and 687 catering outlets so that consumers can make healthier choices. Research to consumer test different signposting systems has been commissioned.

§ Viscount Falkland
My Lords, I thank the Minister for that quite lengthy and comprehensive Answer. I declare a personal interest, as one of the many people who has developed what is known as late-onset diabetes. It is common in this country, particularly among older people and many immigrant groups. It is crucial for us to avoid foods with added sugar. We spend a lot of time—many of us with failing eyesight—looking at labels to see whether the sugar levels are satisfactory. The same probably applies to people who need to avoid salt and fat. Is there not an argument for colour coding to be more widely used? Could the Government impress it upon the food industry that developing some form of colour coding would help people to avoid what is dangerous for them?

§ Lord Warner
My Lords, I sympathise with the noble Lord on his condition. Such conditions are why we are working with the industry to produce the signposting system that I mentioned in my Answer. That system would take account of whether there were high, medium or low provisions of particular items in food. The Food Standards Agency will undertake surveys to consider the most appropriate way in which to get a signposting system to operate which is most convenient to consumers.

§ Baroness Oppenheim-Barnes
My Lords, I have been putting this same Question for the past eight years, and this is one of the least satisfactory Answers that I have heard. It is an absolutely ludicrous situation, when there is a perfectly acceptable system of nutrition labelling, in which the print and the size is exactly uniform, so that comparisons can be made. It is a complete waste of time for the Food Standards Agency to keep bleating on about salt, sugar or anything else, until a satisfactory and clearly comprehensible food labelling system is imposed by law.

§ Lord Warner
My Lords, I am sorry that the noble Baroness is not as satisfied as the questioner was with the thoroughness of my reply, because I thought that she might have been satisfied that we were making progress, and that that was a tribute to her persistence in this area. Already 80 per cent of pre-packaged foods carry some nutrition information, although that does not always include food, saturated fat and sugar. We do need to improve the system, but we also need to have a system which consumers understand and support.

§ Lord Chan
My Lords, would the Minister not agree that in labelling food, not only should the words and contents of the label be clear to those reading them, but also there should be, for children's food in particular, clear guidelines as to the amounts that are safe or not 688 safe? What is given to children early on will affect them in later life—so I ask the noble Lord if he would ensure that that takes place.

§ Lord Warner
My Lords, the noble Lord is quite right, which is why we shall say much more about food labelling in the White Paper, as I have said. We are also concerned about food promotions in relation to children's diets, which is why we are making progress on that area. More will be said on that in the White Paper.

§ Lord Rea
My Lords, I was very pleased to hear my noble friend announce the work that the Food Standards Agency is doing on the signposting system of labelling foods, which is sometimes called the "traffic light system". Is he aware that the Coronary Prevention Group, with which I have been associated for many years, nearly 20 years ago proposed a very workable system of traffic light signalling of the high, medium and low contents of the various nutrients? If such a system is agreed, how long will it remain a voluntary code, and for how long will the Government remain patient in seeing whether the industry follows that voluntary code before making it compulsory?

§ Lord Warner
My Lords, the Government have continued to develop a good, constructive relationship with industry, and progress has been made. My noble friend is right in saying that we need a signposting system. As I said, we are conducting through the Food Standards Agency more research on the best form of that sign-posting system. I am afraid that he will have to wait and see how dirigiste we may or may not be, when the White Paper arrives.

§ Baroness Miller of Chilthorne Domer
My Lords, what does the Minister think of soft drinks labels that loudly proclaim "no added sugar", which suggests that they are healthy and natural, although they in fact contain large quantities of artificial sweeteners, such as aspartame, which I believe that many in the medical establishment feel are implicated in health and behavioural problems in children?

§ Lord Warner
My Lords, I suppose the short answer is "not a lot". That is why we want to ensure that labelling is improved, so that the contents of the package, bottle or container are accurately represented.

§ Lord Harrison
My Lords, is my noble friend aware that one of the major supermarket stores has this summer introduced a colour-coding system—I believe that it is Tesco? Would he undertake to consult that store on its experience of helping customers to choose the appropriate food?

§ Lord Warner
My Lords, good work has been done by a number of those in the retail industry, including the Co-op, in identifying foods. We should pay tribute to 689 the way in which many of the supermarkets have taken on board very successfully the "five a day" message on fruit and vegetables.

§ Lord Rotherwick
My Lords, do any other European countries have a signposting system for food which is enforced by legislation?

§ Lord Warner
My Lords, it was with reference to that point that I said in my Answer that we supported the EU work on a new directive on labelling, which will be introduced. That will pull together the threads on practice throughout Europe, with regard to producing a new directive.

§ Lord Dubs
My Lords, what my noble friend has said is welcome and represents real progress. However, does he agree that it is not only the percentage content of salt or sugar in a particular food that matters; what also matters is the total amount of that food that gets eaten? If one eats a large amount of low-sugar food, one ends up eating a lot of sugar. Does my noble friend agree that, in parallel with the labelling process, we also need more education and information, so that people are aware of the total amount of whatever they are consuming, and what the limits really are?

§ Lord Warner
My Lords, my noble friend is quite right; we need to ensure that there is a balanced diet and that people are adopting it. We need labelling systems to help them to achieve that end. I am sure that the White Paper will say a little more about public education in terms of diet, exercise and other such issues.

§ The Countess of Mar
My Lords, following on the question of the noble Lord, Lord Dubs, I first declare my interest as a specialist cheese maker. May I express my gratitude to the Food Standards Agency which, having started from the premise that cheese because it is high in fat and salt is bad for you, has now conceded that small amounts of cheese are very good for you?

§ Lord Warner
My Lords, the temptation to give a cheesy reply is extremely great.