UK Food Labelling Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

UK regimen Labelling - Essay ExampleIn a nation where consumers want to know more than and more about what they ar place into their shopping carts, the way towards a more healthy diet and wider awareness of how eating and shopping habits affect the rest of the country and the world on the whole, more information is needed for each food item and the answer seems to be a label that is ever increasing in size.This essay examines the current guidelines of British food labelling, where Europe feels the guidelines should go and in particular how the elements of the 2006 Conference on Food Labelling might be implemented into UK directives. With reference to stakeholders, current label requirements, essential information and consumer understanding, the role of the label is ascertained both on its own and in conjunction with other information media now and in the near future.Foods that are sold in the United Kingdom are subject to the legislation of the Food Standards Agency internally sp eaking this means that any produce sold, or any packaged foods sold in grocery stores mustiness meet certain standards (Cartwright 1999). Meat, for example, must be traceable to the farm they were raised on so that if any health risks are discovered it will be possible to track down any other potentially harmful produce quickly and efficiently (Fine 1998). Packaged foods must not exceed certain amounts of salt or contain substances not deemed suitable for consumption (Foodlaw General Guidance for Food Business Operators). In terms of the European Union and food trade agreements, these guidelines accommodate not been imposed strictly on EU nations and so it becomes hard-fought to legislate on imported produce. This means that the FSA must trade with the concerns of its British population in terms of foreign food standards, plus it must deal with internal pressure to understand the full nutritional value of foods sold locally (FSA Food Law Enforceement). The FSA is run by an appo inted board whose members have recently lobbied for the removal of commercials aimed at children that promote the consumption of unhealthy food items containing high amounts of sugar, salt and fat. The organisation is responsible foremost for the health of British consumers and in this capacity it has taken on many challenges in recent years. The FSA is currently under pressure to establish a new labelling system that might coordinated organic and free range status as well as to stamp each item or ingredient with a place of roue (Mansfield 2004). Consumers want to know that their food is not only healthy for them, but healthy for the environment and that any live animals consumed were treated well before their murder (Goldstein and Goldstein 2002). Certainly it is beginning to seem as if there is no end to the information being demanded on each food label, however one must consider whether a person can be expected to eat something that is of questionable origin and quality.A traf fic-light system has been recently backed by the FSA in terms of categorising several packaged foods by level of nutritional value. A green mark will indicate healthy food to be eaten regularly, discolour indicates moderation and red will indicate a food that should only be eaten on occasion (FSA Agencys new traffic-light TV ad launched). After