The Australian Food and Grocery Council (AFGC) is calling on government to support a single front of pack labelling system that includes information about energy, fat, sugar, salt and serve sizes.
AFGC Chief Executive Kate Carnell said that there is already a front of pack labelling system in the market place that provides this information.
The Daily Intake Guide is on more than 1100 products and is used by major manufacturers and retailers including Woolworths, Coles, IGA, Franklins, ALDI and McDonalds.
It is being progressively rolled out and will be on most products over the next two years.
The Daily Intake Guide approach is the system preferred by the European Union, following a great deal of research into consumer understanding.
This system was adapted for Australia, bringing it into line with Australian nutrition information panels, which will remain mandatory on all products.
“It only makes sense that the government should adopt the system that is already being used by consumers everyday to make decisions on putting together a balanced diet,” Ms Carnell said.
Two-thirds of people in a recent Newspoll survey of 1200 people said they found it easy to understand and more than one third reported using it to make purchasing decisions.
The AFGC strongly recommends that the final decision on front of pack labelling should be part of the overall review on labelling currently being conducted as part of the COAG initiatives.
“It is essential that labelling be national, consistent and understood by the consumers. The purpose of the COAG initiative is to provide a holistic approach to labelling and avoid the problems that have been caused by piecemeal approaches to decision making in the past,” Ms Carnell said.
The AFGC outlined its position in its submission to the Food Regulation Standing Committee in response to its Consultation Paper for a Front of Pack Labelling Policy Guideline, which is available at www.afgc.org.au