Traffic Light Labelling system rejected by Federal Government but other recommendations likely to be implemented

The Federal Government yesterday announced that it does not support the Traffic Light Labelling system.

The Traffic Light Labelling system was one of the key recommendations in Labelling Logic, the report released earlier this year by the Independent Review of Food Labelling Law and Policy. The proposed Traffic Light Labelling system would have seen front of pack traffic light labelling for products which contain general or high level health claims, featuring a red, amber or green marking for key nutrients. Products with higher fat, sugar or salt content would get a red mark, with products with a green mark identified as a healthier option.

The Federal Government has, however, proposed the following:

  • Standards for nutrition and health claims on food labels such as 'low fat', 'high in fibre' be improved to ensure that labels reflect public health goals and provide meaningful information to consumers;
  • Improvements to back-of-pack labelling to provide consumers with better information about added sugars, fats and vegetable oils, including the disclosure of specific kind of sugars, fats and oils, instead of just the generic term, e.g. palm oil;
  • That work begin with the food industry and consumer groups, to develop a single front-of-pack labelling model that can provide consumers with better nutritional information;
  • Mandatory pregnancy warning labels on alcohol to be implemented within 2 years.

The rejection of the Traffic Light Labelling system for packaged foods and the possible introduction of these proposals represents a compromise between the need to ensure appropriate nutritional information is provided on packaging and the concerns of food manufacturers that the traffic light system was too simplistic and likely to scare consumers away from foods that may ordinarily be high in fat, but are important to a balanced diet, and further add to food manufacturers' compliance costs.

The Federal Government will take its position to the Legislative and Governance Forum on Food Regulation for further discussion on 9 December with the states and territories and the New Zealand Government.

The content of this article is intended to provide a general guide to the subject matter. Specialist advice should be sought about your specific circumstances.