By JOSIE CLARKE consumer reporter
Most people oppose changes to food-labelling regulations, a survey commissioned by Sanitarium Health Food shows.
The survey found that 70 per cent of people did not know that regulations governing food labelling were about to change.
Once questioned on the subject, 87 per cent said information panels proposed by the Australia New Zealand Food Authority would not give them all the information they needed.
The authority has called for extra information on content, nutrition and allergy risks to be available to customers. Labels showing the percentage content of a food's key ingredient would let shoppers directly compare products, it said.
But sugar content, along with information on dietary fibre, potassium, cholesterol, fatty acids, calcium and iron, would have to be listed only on foods claiming health benefits, such as being low-fat or low-sugar.
The survey found that 85 per cent of people wanted sugar content disclosed regardless of whether the product's manufacturer had made a claim about the sugar content, and 87 per cent said the nutritional content of food should be be labelled.
The manager of Sanitarium New Zealand, Jim Richards, said a third of people were trying to make dietary changes, usually by altering their intake of foods with a high sugar and fat content.
"[The authority] is going against the New Zealand health strategy, and common sense, by making it harder for people to choose healthy food when they're shopping."
Sanitarium had asked the authority to make it mandatory for all foods making a nutrition claim to list sugar content, type of fat and fibre.
Health Minister Annette King said yesterday that she would push for mandatory labelling of saturated fats and sugars on food packaging to be included in the draft food standards code.
She intends to move an amendment to the code when the council meets in Sydney on Friday.
The code would ensure consumers received more information about use and storage instructions and food additives, as well as enforcing date marking and legibility requirements .
The minister accepted a petition yesterday from the National Heart Foundation, calling for food packaging labels to be made mandatory.
The petition had been signed by more than 100 health workers, including many leading cardiologists and public health experts.
Annette King said she had gained cabinet support to move the amendment.
"I have a duty as Health Minister to listen to health groups who have sensible and practical proposals to put forward. The mandatory labelling of sugars and saturated fats is vitally important for consumers." and the changes to the draft food standards code will only require amendments," said Mrs King.
Food labelling changes hard to swallow: survey
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