mr president the principle of providing more and better nutritional information to consumers has been at the forefront of this report and is a commendable aim
however during the process of the report through this parliament i have had enlightening discussions on the font size on a packet of chewing gum whether chicken is in fact a meat or whether a twix bar is classified as one portion or two
we have forgotten what is important and essential to the consumer
the traffic light system of labelling excessively simplifies nutritional profiles causing even the most basic information to become vague and abstract
this directly affects the choices available to consumers and has a disproportionately negative impact on staple foods
just as certain members have been quick to make judgments the traffic light system provides too judgmental an assessment of foodstuffs and the complex nutritional composition of food its place in the diet cannot be reduced to a simple colour
consumers want to know where their food is from and essential information on what is in it especially allergenic information to allow them to make the best choice of food product
i believe they are intelligent enough to do that
they do not want to be dictated to about what food they can and cannot eat
