Front of Pack Nutrition Labelling

Alette AddisonFood Information and Promotions ManagerDepartment of Health

2 July 2013 DH – Leading the nation’s health and care

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What do we know?

Overall, the research tends to focus on:

1. Consumer preferences for front of pack labelling

2. Consumer understanding of front of pack labelling

3. Consumer self-reported use of front of pack labelling

There is limited evidence on:

1. Consumers’ actual use of front of pack labelling

2. Impact of front of pack labelling on consumers’ diet

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What does it tell us?•Most concentrated use in the UK•Consumers pay more attention to nutrition information FoP•Consumers can use all common forms FoP •Evidence of confusion where multiple schemes co-exist - strong consumer preference for single scheme - Consistency•More people say they use than do - Motivation•Directive versus non-directive – hybrid preferred•Market penetration – gaining familiarity increases attention•Label’s influence on choice small (price, habit and brand exert more influence )

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Policy Implications

It is important to have nutrition information

on the front of pack

Consistency in front of pack labelling schemes is key (over and above the specific type of scheme)

It is important to have a large market penetration in order to raise awareness in consumers

Motivation………

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Many formats still allowed by new EU Reg.

Energy or Energy + 4

As sold/ As consumed

Per 100g/per portion

Per portion as consumed Per portion as sold

FAT

6.7g

SAT FAT

1.8g

SUGAR

1.2g

SALT

0.69g

ENERGYkJ/kcal

438/105

ENERGYkJ/kcal

284/1008

Per 100gper sausage

FAT

6.7g

SAT FAT

1.8g

SUGAR

1.2g

SALT

0.69g

ENERGYkJ/kcal

438/105

ENERGYkJ/kcal

756/213

Per 100gper sausage

FAT

14.9g/100g

SAT FAT

4.1g/100g

SUGAR

2.7g/100g

SALT

1.53g/100g

ENERGYkJ/kcal756/213Per 100g

Per 100g as sold Per 100g as consumed

FAT

19.9g/100g

SAT FAT

5.5g/100g

SUGAR

3.6g/100g

SALT

2.04g/100g

ENERGYkJ/kcal

1008/284Per 100g

As sold As consumed p/port’n as consumed p/port’n as soldkJ/kcal

756/213

Per 100g Per 100g

kJ/kcal284/1008

kJ/kcal

672/160

per portion

kJ/kcal284/1008

Per 100g

kJ/kcal

672/160

per portion

kJ/kcal756/213

Per 100g

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Of your guideline daily amount

Energy

1532 kJ

366 kcal

Fat

11.3g

Saturates

6.9g

Sugars

10.2g

Salt

1.27g

18% 35%16% 11% 21%

Each portion contains

And then Additional Forms of Expression

can be added.

Front of Pack Nutrition Labelling - The Journey So Far - SAFEFOOD 29th May 2013

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Variety of front of pack schemes in 2012

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Market share of differing labels in 2012

FoP labelling in UK by sales volume

18%

48%

10%

23%

1%

GDA and CL

GDA only

CL only

Unknown

No Labelling

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Agreeing the scheme

• On 24th October 2012 all 4 Governments across the UK announced their support for a front of pack scheme based on a hybrid approach - a combination of reference intakes (the old GDA) and colour coding.

• Worked on the detail of the scheme in an open and transparent way, modelling different options and sharing the results with all stakeholders, alongside legal views of what would be compliant with the new EU labelling legislation.

• Partnership working with industry on the development of the guidance – with industry leading on the practical aspects of the presentational guidance – how the label should be formatted and printed on pack.

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What will it look like?

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Colour coding is the UKs preferred ‘additional form of expression’ (Article 35 – EU Reg. 1169/2011). This is based on extensive consumer which demonstrates that a label that

combines colour and % reference intakes is preferred by consumers and is most effective at enabling them to make

healthier choices.

EU Reg. 1169/2011 requires a portion size declaration

that is easily recognisable to the consumer.

EU Reg. 1169/2011 allows for the inclusion of % reference intakes. The combination of colour

coding and reference intakes allows consumers to identify foods that are high in nutrients of public health concern and how much they

contribute, per eating occasion, to their diet.

EU Reg.1169/2011 requires information on energy or energy plus fat, saturates,

sugars and salt. In our scheme we recommend that this is provided per

portion

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Current signatories account

for nearly 2/3 of pre-packed food sold in the UK

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Common misconceptions

The scheme does not identify healthier options in some categories, for example, cheese and biscuits.

•In most categories the scheme does identify healthier choices even in the cake section!

•But the scheme is primarily designed to highlight foods that are high in nutrients of public health concern so that consumers can consider swapping to healthier versions (both colours and RIs can help identify these), eating those foods less frequently or in smaller portions.

Front of Pack Nutrition Labelling - The Journey So Far - SAFEFOOD 29th May 2013

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Common misconceptions

The scheme demonises some food and people will stop eating them and lose out on the micronutrients that they provide.

•The scheme uses the same thresholds across all foods to determine the award of green, amber or red colour coding.

•We will work on a consistent messaging framework to ensure that all stakeholders communicate about the meaning of colours in the same way as the Government has always done. Red means a food is high in that nutrient and consumers should consider choosing a healthier alternative in the same food category, eat the food less frequently or in smaller portions, and controlling their overall intake of nutrients that are of public health concern by using the RI information given per portion on pack.

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Common misconceptionsThe scheme does not account for foods that are

eaten in small quantities. e.g. marmite is red for salt but you

don’t eat very much. • Portion sizes are not defined so information may be different on

different products – portion v consumption unit.

• People eat different amounts of the same foods and at different frequencies.

• Even products eaten in small potions can contribute significant amounts of nutrients of public health concern to the diet:

- e.g. children who are high consumers of table sauces (including ketchup, salad dressing, salad cream and mayonnaise) consume over a 1/3 of daily maximum recommendations for salt in the 1.5-3 year category and 24% or 40% of the recommendations for 4-10 year olds (4-6 year olds should eat less than 3g salt/day and 7-10 less than 5gsalt/day) from these products.

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Common misconceptions

Ok - But if there is a red on the food then people will stop eating it!

Research shows that people use colour coding as an initial sift before looking further at nutrition information and applying existing nutrition knowledge i.e. that cheese is a source of micronutrients but that chocolate is a treat.

“If it was all green, you

wouldn’t bother, you’d pick it up and throw it in

your basket, but if it had red and

yellow, you’d maybe look at the back and

say, oh that’s all right.”

[Female, Pre-Family,]

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And Now?

Motivation (communication)

and Evaluation ………

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