Govt Food Dialogue & Four Weeks To Comment On Labelling

The independent publication Australian Food News reports that the Federal Government’s new Food and Health Dialogue will provide a

‘framework for government, health groups and industry to work collaboratively across the food supply chain to improve dietary intakes’.

This Dialogue will be part of a broader strategy to increase healthy eating and it will focus on raising the nutritional profile of foods through:

• reformulation – making processed foods healthier eg reducing levels of salt, sugar and saturated fats in products
• consumer education
• portion standardisation

The Dialogue group include representatives from the Australian Food and Grocery Council, the National Heart Foundation of Australia, Woolworths Limited, the Public Health Association of Australia and CSIRO.

Chairperson Mark Butler said

“Over time, the Dialogue aims to engage the whole food supply chain from primary producers to the food service sector, including quick service restaurants…

The Dialogue will draw on health-related survey results, such as the COAG-funded Australian National Health Risk Survey Program under the National Partnership Agreement on Preventive Health, to help develop and measure its work..

Alongside other measures to improve Australian diets, the Dialogue provides an opportunity for on-going cooperation between industry, public health groups and government to help achieve this important goal within the preventative health strategy.

Food Labelling Review

Many say Australian food labelling is much weaker than in European countries and consumers here have a right to meaningful info about what they are eating.

TruFood says consumers in Europe are provided with easy to understand ‘front of pack’ nutritional labelling and are told whether their food contains additives or products derived from genetically engineered crops. The European Parliament has backed the mandatory labelling of all food derived from nanotechnology but Australian consumers are effectively ‘eating in the dark’.

Last week an independent review of food labelling, chaired by former Federal Health Minister Dr Neal Blewett, was announced.

Groups including Greenpeace, the Food Intolerance Network and Friends of the Earth have welcomed the review but all are concerned the government is only allowing four weeks for public submissions.

We can all make personal submissions to the review now.

Submission Due Date

November 20th 2009 to FoodLabellingReview@health.gov.au.