Editorial: Ticked off by labels

Photo/Thinkstock.

Supermarket shopping is one of my least favourite things.

I try to pick the time when I think there will be the least number of people there. I just want to get my shopping done and get out of there.

I know some people love doing their weekly shop. They have a favourite supermarket and they take their time, read the labels, tick things off their list and have an enjoyable experience.

I am not one of those people who compares lists of ingredients. I don't always look at the salt or sugar content and I don't base my decision on the fat content. However, I do try to maintain a healthy balance of food, and I think I know what I am putting in my body, without poring over labels.

Most of the time my supermarket choices are spurred by price. With some things I buy a more expensive option, like bread, but with most things I buy, I pick the cheapest option.

This week it was announced a double tick would soon be found on healthy food that should be eaten every day.

The widely established Heart Foundation white tick will be popping up on other food items, foods deemed necessary for a healthy diet getting an extra tick.

Tauranga-based Heart Foundation heart health advocate Sandy Ritchie says clear signage on food packaging is important as many people did not have time to read labels or did not understand what to look for.

By the end of 2014 there will be 74 products in supermarkets displaying the two-tick logo.

Apparently this will make it easier for people to see what they need to eat for a balanced diet.

In addition to the tick system a range of other labels and stamps and logos is cropping up on our food.

In June the Government introduced its voluntary Health star rating labelling system. Its labels are similar to the energy star rating, a half circle of five stars that are coloured according to their rating. Foods with more coloured stars are of higher nutritional value.

There are also logos for organic, free range, low fat ... the list goes on. I know some people would benefit from these sorts of labels, but surely we can use just one system. I can't help but think people will stop looking at all the different labels because they won't know what each one stands for.