Key issues in food labelling
1
Introduction
1.1 Key issues in food labelling
D. Jukes, University of Reading
The development of issues in food labelling has arisen only recently and is linked to the increasing sale of food in prepackaged form. In most industrialised economies, the food manufacturing industry is highly developed and sophisticated. Food is harvested and passes along a tightly controlled food chain ultimately reaching the consumer. The need for consistent high quality safe food has led the industry to incorporate packaging systems which minimise the handling of the food and hence contribute to the overall safety of the food.
The days have largely gone in these industrial countries where food is cut, prepared and wrapped at the request of the purchaser. There has, however, been something of a reaction against the apparent industrialisation of the food supply. Many supermarkets are increasingly adding specialist counters to their stores where customers can request foods such as bacon, ham or cheese. However, this provides only for a small amount of today’s purchases. The majority of food is prepacked and presented to the customer in a labelled container. The focus of the consumers’ choice is therefore on this label. It is the label which has increasingly been subject to detailed demands, analysis, abuse and subsequent control. 1.1.1 Why is food labelling a problem?
The label serves many functions and it is the combination of these functions which bring conflict to the issue of food labelling. The two key objectives of the label are:
• to provide information for the consumer
• to help sell the product.
These two functions may be complementary. For example, in these days of healthy eating when low fat foods appear to be important, the provision of information indicating that a food has a lower fat content than a competitor’s equivalent product, will help sell the
©2000 CRC Press LLC
food. However, conversely, the competitor’s higher fat product
Introduction
1.1 Key issues in food labelling
D. Jukes, University of Reading
The development of issues in food labelling has arisen only recently and is linked to the increasing sale of food in prepackaged form. In most industrialised economies, the food manufacturing industry is highly developed and sophisticated. Food is harvested and passes along a tightly controlled food chain ultimately reaching the consumer. The need for consistent high quality safe food has led the industry to incorporate packaging systems which minimise the handling of the food and hence contribute to the overall safety of the food.
The days have largely gone in these industrial countries where food is cut, prepared and wrapped at the request of the purchaser. There has, however, been something of a reaction against the apparent industrialisation of the food supply. Many supermarkets are increasingly adding specialist counters to their stores where customers can request foods such as bacon, ham or cheese. However, this provides only for a small amount of today’s purchases. The majority of food is prepacked and presented to the customer in a labelled container. The focus of the consumers’ choice is therefore on this label. It is the label which has increasingly been subject to detailed demands, analysis, abuse and subsequent control. 1.1.1 Why is food labelling a problem?
The label serves many functions and it is the combination of these functions which bring conflict to the issue of food labelling. The two key objectives of the label are:
• to provide information for the consumer
• to help sell the product.
These two functions may be complementary. For example, in these days of healthy eating when low fat foods appear to be important, the provision of information indicating that a food has a lower fat content than a competitor’s equivalent product, will help sell the
©2000 CRC Press LLC
food. However, conversely, the competitor’s higher fat product
References: Food Safety Act 1990 Code of Practice No. 2: Legal Matters HMSO 1991. Consumers and Food Claims Consumers Association 1989. Food Advisory Committee Report on its Review of Food Labelling and Advertising 1990 HMSO. Dietary Supplements and Health Foods Report of the Working Group MAFF and DOH 1991 HMSO. ©2000 CRC Press LLC