A generic ‘healthy groceries’ shopping list?

A nice shopping companion – though not one to be provided by our duopoly!

Following our articles on food labelling someone has asked us to provide a groceries shopping list that would eliminate confusion and frustration when reading food labels without a scientific grasp of nutrition.

What a good idea if the list could be written by someone like a welfare worker without any vested interest! I imagine the list could:

1. indicate value for money – given the goal of healthy eating for an ‘average’ Australian male or female within certain age brackets.
2. say what to look for/avoid on food labels eg avoid high salt levels.

The point is well made that even if you have a reasonable standard of education for many of us food labels might as well be written in a foreign language!

I have trawled through the internet looking for shopping lists based on food quality and all I could find was the Greenpeace ‘True Food Network‘ which is all about avoiding GE foods.

How the guide works: Foods are listed in common categories and displayed in coloured columns according to the GE status of the companies that produce them. In each section, the brand of the food is listed, followed by the company name where relevant.Greenpeace has rated common brands based on written responses to a series of questions in July 2003. The ratings are more stringent than Australian labelling laws as they reflect the use of highly processed GE derived ingredients as well as GE stockfeed.

An anti-GE Rally on April 8

Over 140 organisations from more than 50 countries declared April 8 a Joint International GE Opposition Day. It featured major public events to show growing global opposition to genetically engineered (GE) food and crops.

Do you have any ideas on what organisation – perhaps a higher degree research student? – might be prepared to have a go at such a list? Do you know if something like already exists?

NOTE: Any rating listed is a reflection of company policy and not a guarantee of GE-free or GE status. “Company policy” refers to the policy of companies in Australia, and does not reflect company policy in other countries or markets. The ratings are also not an endorsement or comment on any individual company. Neither Greenpeace nor GeneEthics Network have undertaken any independent testing of these foods. The Guide is not exhaustive, but covers the majority of brands found in supermarkets. The ratings are based on food companies’ written responses to a series of questions on GE ingredients.