Labelling stakeholders updated

Wednesday 13 March 2002

The FSA has updated stakeholders on a raft of initiatives aimed at promoting clearer labelling.

They include a report from the independent Food Advisory Committee (FAC). Its review of labelling policies aimed to balance increasing demands for information with the practical problems of squeezing more and more information into the available space on food labels.

The Agency is extremely grateful to the Committee for this focussed, constructive and timely examination of the core issues.

The Agency is already taking forward many of the recommendations made by the Committee.

• Recommendations from a Task Force on improving the clarity and legibility of food labels have been published and will be subject to wide ranging public consultation and research on ideal formats for nutrition labelling is well advanced.
• Discussions are already taking place in Brussels on proposals aimed at providing more comprehensive ingredient listing information to consumers, especially those with food allergies.
• Research projects aimed at informing the debates on improving information provision in catering outlets and for non-prepacked foods, and for the use of voluntary labelling schemes and logos are well advanced and are expected to report their findings to the Agency during Summer 2002.
• Wide ranging public consultation on advice aimed at encouraging more widespread country of origin declarations and providing clear advice on how to avoid misleading labelling will be completed by the end of this month.

In other areas, the Agency will draw on the advice contained in this excellent report in developing and taking forward its policies in full consultation with stakeholders.

Copies of the FAC's report are available from our website or can be obtained free of charge by contacting our mailing house at:

Food Standards Agency
PO Box 369
Hayes
Middlesex
UB3 1UT
Tel: 0845 606 0667
Fax: 0208 867 3225
E-mail: foodstandards@eclogistics.co.uk