SCOTS MEP ACTION ON FOOD ‘TRAFFIC LIGHTS’

Healthy eating is very much at the forefront of the fight against obesity in the European Parliament this week.  Scots MEP and consumer rights activist, Catherine Stihler [Labour], is set to vote in favour of clearer food labelling rules.

Faced with alarming obesity statistics, Catherine Stihler is supportive of drastic measures which will change the way food products are labelled in shops.  ‘Traffic light’ labelling provides busy shoppers with an ‘at-a-glance’ nutritional guideline, helping them to make more informed decisions on the spot. 

Mrs. Stihler pledged her support for upfront and honest food labelling by visiting her local Sainsbury’s in Kirkcaldy, where she was met by Store Manager, Sharon Matthews (June 14 2010).

Speaking ahead of the vote in Strasbourg, Mrs Stihler stated:

“Food manufacturers have been lobbying hard to stop the use of ‘traffic light labels’, which use green, amber and red markings to show how much salt, fat and sugar is contained in processed foods like ready meals

“The British Heart Foundation and Which? both back the labels, and I’ve received many letters from people across Scotland asking me to support them.

“I for one am very happy to give my name to the campaign and I hope the region’s other

MEPs will put aside party differences to join me in helping shoppers make an informed

choice about what they’re buying”.

A spokesperson for Sainsbury’s added:

“We were the first UK retailer to launch Multiple Traffic Light labelling (MTL) and now have Multiple Traffic Light labelling on over 5,000 of our own brand products. 

“The labelling gives customers at-a-glance nutrition information, enabling them to make informed choices about the food they purchase.  For a number of years, we have been tracking what our customers think of our labelling.  Our recent research shows that 95% of our customers are aware of our Multiple Traffic Light labelling and that two thirds say MTLs influence what they decide to buy.”

The debate on the report is set for TODAY (June 15^th) and the vote will take place on

June 16^th 2010 in Strasbourg.