Empowering consumers to make healthy food choices

 

As part of the EU’s Farm to Fork Strategy, at the end of the year the European Commission will propose a harmonised mandatory front-of-pack nutrition labelling system. This is designed to help consumers make informed, sustainable and health-conscious food choices across Member States. The Commission’s proposal will also include setting up nutrient profiles to restrict the promotion of foods high in fat, sugars and/or salt with the aim of facilitating a shift to healthier diets and to drive food reformulation.

There is a lot at stake for consumer choice. According to the wider food and beverage industry, the upcoming proposal should be easy to interpret and, based on dietary guidelines, ensure that consumers are well informed about the nutritional benefits of food and drink products. But some industry stakeholders are concerned that the focus of EU policymakers on specific nutrients risks entrenching negative perceptions around certain food products, despite scientific evidence that supports their positive contribution to European diets. (...)