Taking the cue from the level of nutrition awareness in people major UK food brands are displaying salt, fat, sugar and calorie content on the front of their packets. This is to ensure good food choices and better health for the nation.
The majorFood companies in the health race are Danone, Kraft, Kellogs, Nestle and PepsiCo. They have shunned the Food Standards Agency's (FSA) proposed 'traffic light' labels in favour of their own innovative system.The FSA had backed the green, amber and red labels which would have used colour to depict how healthy foods are at a glance. Taking this matter seriously the FSA held a consulation meeting and it is due to give its decision on what it will recommend manufacturers do regarding labelling.
The five food giants have adopted the guideline daily allowance (GDA) scheme, this system advoactes which percentage of an individual's recommended daily amount (RDA) of each of the five key nutrients are contained in a single portion.
This step by the companies has called for criticism by consumer groups such as National Consumer Council which claim numerous different labels will confuse consumers. Chief of PepsiCo for the UK and Ireland Mr Glenn said: 'What we plan to do is give people the information to make judgments about their own diets.'
He branded the FSA's traffic light system as 'wrong-headed' and 'too simplistic'.
The Food and Drink Federation (FDF) today welcomed the move, saying it enables companies to develop consistent, complementary approaches to providing on-pack information'.
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