CANBERRA, Australia—The Australian government is feeling the heat from health officials and consumers after it rejected the introduction of a mandatory “traffic-light" food labeling system similar to the one enacted in the United Kingdom, which would have required foods and beverages to carry red, amber or green ratings for key ingredients such as fats, salts and sugars.
Australian Health Minister Nicola Roxon said there was currently not enough evidence to demonstrate any form of front-of-package labeling, including traffic light labeling, provides Australians with the nutritional information they need to make informed choices. However, the Sydney Morning Herald is reporting “widespread criticism from health and consumer leaders that it has put industry profits ahead of Australians’ health. Many are accusing the government of “caving to the food industry."
Michael Moore, the chief executive of the Public Health Association of Australia, said traffic light labels were a key to combating “the exponential increase in obesity" and conditions like diabetes and cardiovascular disease.
The debate about mandatory “traffic-light" labeling will continue at next week's meeting of federal, state and territory health and food ministers that will decide on what to recommend to the Council of Australian Governments.
