Not long after I joined ‘softdrinksworld’ (now ‘Beverage Innovation Magazine’) some 12 years ago, I attended a meeting on nutrition and labelling; whether it should be GDA (guideline daily amounts) indicated on-pack or ‘traffic light labelling’.
Yet, it seems this labelling conundrum still hasn’t been resolved, despite numerous conferences and substantial sums of EU money being spent to discuss this issue in some detail.
TraceOne supplies software to track and trace the end-to-end process in food and drink production, with data security and consistency from raw materials to supplier to retailer. Working with major retailers, such as Wal-Mart, Carrefour, Monoprix, M&S and Sainsbury’s and increasingly, smaller retailers, they collaborate data at all stages of the value chain and are known particularly for their work in private label.
A recent piece of research carried out by TNS in the UK on their behalf involved interviewing more than 2,000 shoppers aged between 16 and 24. Over 75% of those in the highly visual younger age band found packaging ingredients details often misleading and confusing, with the potential to increase levels of obesity through lack of clarity and misunderstanding.
“What’s needed is a cohesive, standard labelling system across all geographies and sectors,” explained VP of TraceOne, Nick Martin. “Once agreed upon, we are in the perfect position to implement this.”
However, it is this ‘once agreed upon’ that is the sticking point. Having followed various proposals from the EU and other food and drink bodies across the globe, it’s that very lack of agreement which is holding back progress.
And understandably so, when many dairy products are likely to be labelled as ‘bad for you’, when in fact they are highly nutritious and protein-rich, and a good source of food for the young and old.
I am a keen defender of the readers of our Dairy Innovation publication, as there is so much that is good, innovative and healthy being produced right now.
It seems there is no easy solution when it comes to nutritional labelling, so if anyone has any bright ideas, do let me know.
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