Food businesses have suffered from confusing government policies,
said the UK's Food and Drink Federation (FDF), which hopes Prime
Minister Brown's new strategy will provide greater clarity.
The need for new European legislation on nutrition labelling has
been called into question by the CIAA (Confederation of Food and
Drink Industries in Europe), as a survey indicates that uptake of
its voluntary scheme has been significant.
A workshop convened by the FSA has identified some food categories
for action on portion sizes, as a report finds that some products
sold in the UK may have increased in size over the last 15-20
years.
The potentially damaging effects of trans fats may also be passed
from a mother to her child during breast feeding, suggests a new
study that heaps more misery on the enfant terrible of the
food industry.
Efforts to reduce salt in packaged foods involve more than just
salt replacers and flavour enhancers, as suppliers contribute to
overall efforts by tweaking processes to make lower sodium
ingredients.
The salt content of vegetarian sausages and burgers can often be
the same as, or even higher than, their meaty equivalents,
according to a recent survey.
Sweeteners and colourings in food aimed at children should be
banned, while additives ought to be used in other products only if
they provide an advantage to the consumer, said the EU Environment
Committee.
Ajinomoto Sweeteners Europe has launched a defamation law suit
against US supermarket Asda over labelling on own-brand products
that calls aspartame a 'nasty'.
Artificial colours linked to hyperactivity in children by the
Southampton study should be phased out in Europe, said the UK Food
Standards Agency today.
The CIAA has highlighted several important areas of debate and
strategic consideration for food manufacturers, which it is
planning to address at its annual conference in November.
Owen Warnock, partner and food law expert at international law firm
Eversheds, unpicks the new EU labelling proposal and assesses what
it may mean for food manufacturers.
