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Are We Snacking Our Way To An Early Grave?
Added: (Wed Apr 19 2006)
Can we stop before it's too late? A less confusing and more user friendly alternative to the contentious 'traffic light' food labelling system.
There is probably no issue currently more contentious within the Food Industry than the impasse between food manufacturers and the Food Standards Agency over the best way of informing consumers about the nutritional value of their products. This is particularly relevant to snacks sold through vending machines in schools and business.
Swipe Vending is an independent industry consultancy that provides a straightforward comparison of all snacks vended in the UK via their website at www.swipevending.com where products are ranked using eight factors including fat, sugar, sodium, fibre and calories.
Swipe Vending allocates all products a Swipe Nutrition Rating, known as the SNR, which is a relative rating dynamically generated after analysing the nutritional information and ingredients contained in each product with particular emphasis on potentially harmful chemical additives. This radical concept goes way beyond any of the food labelling schemes currently on the table. The objective is to empower the consumer to make an informed product choice.
In a recent advertisement by Sainsbury's, one of the major retailers subscribing to the FSA 'traffic light' scheme, a croissant was analysed. The calorie and fat content were awarded a red rating indicating that it should eaten sparingly. Saturates and salt were rated amber suggesting that moderate consumption is fine. Sugar content, being green, equated to acceptably healthy. How can this possibly help the consumer to decide whether or not to eat the croissant? Eat the green part but avoid the red part and save the amber part for later?
This is not intended to make light of the efforts of the FSA and Sainsbury's. It just illustrates the difficulty inherent in attempting to inform in a way that is easily understood by the average consumer. Neither do the manufacturers make it easy using such sleights of hand as 'serving size' and 'reduced fat' on food labels to further confuse the consumer. Is your snack really lower in salt or is the packet just smaller? The SNR takes all of the factors into account and translates them into a single, intuitive indicator that can be understood at a glance.
"We have no axe to grind with the FSA or the food industry", said Kevin Barry of Swipe. "Our concern is that people are eating their way to an early grave and nothing sensible is being done at Government level to prevent it. We provide an easy-to-understand relative nutritional indicator. If you are going to eat a chocolate bar, choose the brand that is least detrimental to your health. It's as simple as that".
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Contact: Teresa Dupay or Kevin Barry
Tel: 020-8875-9277 07944-389020 07770-850570
Email: enquiries@swipevending.com
Website: www.swipevending.com
Teresa Dupay is a Nutritional Therapist with 10 years experience. She has contributed to articles in the national press and is a regular commentator on nutritional affairs for Essex Radio and BBC Essex.