Front of Pack Nutrition Labelling Briefing Session – June 2012

Alette AddisonFood Information and Promotions ManagerObesity and Food Policy Branch

• Summary of the evidence• Summary of FIR provisions on

FoP• Outline of Consultation• Next Steps

What evidence is available?

• Employed a range of methodologies– Literature reviews– Quantitative research– Qualitative research– Evaluations

• Wide range of countries– UK– Europe– USA– Canada– Australia– New Zealand

What evidence is available?

• Overall, the research tends to focus on:– Consumer preferences of front of pack labelling– Consumer understanding of front of pack labelling– Consumer self-reported use of front of pack labelling

• There is limited evidence on:– Consumers’ actual use of front of pack labelling– Impact of front of pack labelling on consumers’ diet

What does the evidence tell us?

• Use of front of pack labelling

• Format of front of pack labelling

• Presentation of front of pack labelling

• Alternative forms of expressions

• Use of logos

Use of FoP Labels

• Who uses food labels?– Women– Those with young children– Dieters/those with special dietary requirements– Higher income, higher education– First time purchases

• Those who use front of pack labelling value it, however front of pack labelling is not readily looked for and will always compete with other aspects of food labelling.

• Consumers have a tendency to over-report using labels

Format of FoP Labelling

• European Research– Fat– Calories– Salt– Sugar

• USA Research– Calories– Saturated fat– Trans fat– Sodium

• What do consumers look for on food labels?

• No evidence available on portion size vs 100g

Presentation of FoP Labelling

• Consumers can use and understand most forms of food labelling, however consistency is key– Given the choice, an integrated label is preferred– Consumers prefer ‘non-directive’ food labels

• However, limited information on how these labels are used

• Overall, consumers prefer a consistent FoP scheme

Additional Forms of Expression

• Colour is the most researched AFE• Initially:

– Could be misleading (unaware that some colours do/do not have meaning)

• More recently: – Can have an impact when instructed to make healthy choice– Helps correct an incorrect intuitive assessment that a product is

healthy when it is not.– Helps in differentiating less healthy alternatives (around the red

amber cut-off).– Reduces complex decision-making– Aids discrimination between high and low sodium products

Directive Labelling & Logos

• ‘Health Logo’ – (FLABEL, Europe)

• Swedish ‘Keyhole’ – (Sweden, Denmark, Norway)

Looking Ahead

• Always on-going research

• There is already a clear and consistent evidence base

Policy Implications

• It is important to have nutritional information on the front of pack

• Consistency in front of pack labelling schemes is key (over and above the specific type of scheme)

• It is important to have a large market penetration in order to raise awareness in consumers

The Provision of Food Information to Consumers

Regulation 1169/2011

Provision of Food Information to Consumers - Regulation 1169/2011 Nutrition Requirements

• Nutrition Labelling becomes mandatory from end 2016. • Repetition of nutrition information front of pack remains

voluntary, but if provided must comply with Regulation formats from end 2014.

• Nutrition labelling of non-prepacked foods remains voluntary – but if provided the full mandatory labelling or front of pack formats can be used. Member States can mandate provision of some or all mandatory nutrition provisions.

• Alcoholic drinks (>1.2%) exempted from mandatory nutrition but can provide full nutrition or energy only labelling voluntarily whilst Commission consider further (by end 2014).

Front of pack• Voluntary FOP information permitted on either:

- energy-only, or - energy plus fat, saturates, sugars & salt

• Information can be provided ‘as sold’ or ‘as consumed’• Information can be provided per portion or per 100g/mls• % Reference Intakes (%GDA) information can be given on a

per 100g/ml or per portion basis• Additional forms of expression and presentation are

permitted, subject to certain requirements.

Of your guideline daily amount

Energy

1532 kJ366 kcal

Fat

11.3g

Saturates

6.9g

Sugars

10.2g

Salt

1.27g

18% 35%16% 11% 21%

Each portion contains

Additional Forms of ExpressionPossible to express the nutrition information in different ways to just words and numbers.

Additional forms of expression (AFE)

• Must satisfy a number of requirements, such as:– they are based on sound and scientifically valid consumer research– their development is the result of consultation with a wide range of

stakeholders– they aim to facilitate consumer understanding

• Government able to recommend one or more AFE• Member States must monitor the use of AFE in their

territory and report these to the Commission• The Commission will write a report, with the potential for

future harmonisation of AFE across the EU, by end 2017

So what issues remain?

• As sold or as consumed• Energy or energy + 4• Per 100g or per portion ( portion size)• GDAs?• AFEs?• Position on pack• Logos and Europe• FIR and ‘pings’.

FIR Options

• Energy or Energy + 4• As sold/ As consumed• Per 100g/per portion

Per portion as consumed Per portion as sold

FAT

6.7g

SAT FAT

1.8g

SUGAR

1.2g

SALT

0.69g

ENERGYkJ/kcal

438/105

ENERGYkJ/kcal

284/1008

Per 100gper sausage

FAT

6.7g

SAT FAT

1.8g

SUGAR

1.2g

SALT

0.69g

ENERGYkJ/kcal

438/105

ENERGYkJ/kcal

756/213

Per 100gper sausage

FAT

14.9g/100g

SAT FAT

4.1g/100g

SUGAR

2.7g/100g

SALT

1.53g/100g

ENERGYkJ/kcal756/213Per 100g

Per 100g as sold Per 100g as consumed

FAT

19.9g/100g

SAT FAT

5.5g/100g

SUGAR

3.6g/100g

SALT

2.04g/100g

ENERGYkJ/kcal

1008/284Per 100g

As sold As consumed p/port’n as consumed p/port’n as sold

kJ/kcal756/213

Per 100g Per 100g

kJ/kcal284/1008

kJ/kcal

672/160

per portion

kJ/kcal284/1008

Per 100g

kJ/kcal

672/160

per portion

kJ/kcal756/213

Per 100g

GDAs/Additional forms of expression

• Use of GDA• Use of one form of AFE

Reference intake of an average adult (8400kJ/2000kcal)

MED

FAT

6.5g

LOW

SAT FAT

0.8g

LOW

SUGAR

0.6g

LOW

SALT

0.2g

kJ/kcal

672/160

kJ/kcal756/213

11%8%3%1%4%9%

% of reference intake per sausage Per 100g

ENERGYENERGY

Other Issues for FoP

• Position on pack• Energy or Energy + 4• Logos and wider EU

harmonisation• Use of ‘pings’.

So Why Consult?

• The Provision of Food Information to Consumers 1169/2011finalised

• Manufacturers/retailers making changes to labels now

• EU research outcomes now known

Consultation

• All 4 Governments across the UK• Joint ambitions:

– to maintain and extend the use of front of pack labelling across the widest possible range of food and drink products

– to achieve the greatest possible consistency in the content and presentation of front of pack nutrition labelling, in a form which is clearest and most useful to consumers

Aims of the consultation

• To determine the level of consensus around a consistent front of pack labelling scheme

• To collate and explore views from, industry, consumer and others around the use of logos.

• To determine how front of pack labelling might support the wider Government agenda

• To determine any unknown costs and benefits.

Next Steps

• 12 weeks consultation ends 6th August 2012• SoS meeting key stakeholders during the

consultation period. Officials also meeting stakeholders to explore their current positions in more depth

• Outcome of consultation considered by all 4 Governments

• Summary published• Governments announce next steps