Targeting food producers who make misleading claims

All Wales Euro-MP Jill Evans is fighting to tighten up new European rules to ensure that health claims made on food are clear, accurate and useful.

The Parliament's Environment Committee will tomorrow (Wednesday) consider proposals that will require food manufacturers to be more honest in making nutritional and health claims on foods.

The new rules respond to widespread concern about the accuracy of claims being made on food labels. A recent survey by consumer organisation 'Which' found that just seven per cent of foods they tested contained the levels of nutrients stated on the packet - and some leading brands were shown to make claims which were questioned.

Ms Evans said:

"Many people, myself included, rely on what it says on the packet to help us decide what food we buy. But it's clear that at the moment food manufacturers are able to get away with making exaggerated and misleading claims. That's why we need new rules to make sure we can trust the claims on food labels.

"And that's why I'm fighting to tighten the rules as much as possible. I'm particularly concerned about health claims made on children's food which can contain high levels of fat, sugar or salt.

"We know that obesity is increasing in Europe, particularly among children. With 30% of 2-15 year olds in the UK either overweight or obese and almost a quarter of the general population classed as obese the situation has reached a critical point. Obesity can lead to an increased risk of many serious illnesses including heart disease and some kinds of cancer. Food manufacturers spend 1,000 times more on marketing than governments spend on fighting obesity.

"It's time we redressed the balance in the interests of children's health."

Ends.