The next target for the food conscious community
UPDATE: Kellogg to ditch immunity statement after ditching Smart Choices program last week.
The food community is riding high after their recent victory over the Smart Choices food label rating system and turning their attention to front of package marketing claims as their next target – see Marion Nestles article on Cocao Krispies and ¨immunicty¨claim h ere.
Increasingly manufacturers are using various health claims such as ¨increases immunity¨ and ¨organic¨ on front of package labelling to increase sales of products. At times these claims are based on scant scientific evidence and lacking any regulatory oversight manufacturers are free to claim whatever they want.
Recently, in Europe the European Food Standards Agency (EFSA) rejected hundreds of health claims stating a lack of scientific evidence as the reason for their rejection. At the same time here in the US, reports have come out about the increasing successful use of beauty claims to influence purchase. A recent report on retailerwire.com summarises the findings published by Mintel states that using front of package claims related to beauty such as ‘beauty enhancing’ and “revitalize each cell of the body within, and is a positive step towards achieving beautiful luminous skin and a fabulous complexion.” have increased by 306% from 2005 to 2008. Many observers attribute this to the increasing trends towards functional foods.
Whatever, the reason for this increase in both health and beauty claims, there needs to be some relation to scientific evidence for the claims to have any medium or long term effect. The democratization of information has increased public awareness and participation in the dissemination of information and ideas about food safety and food labelling issues. The community has a low tolerance for misleading claims and brands have been significantly effected by the backlash against false or misleading claims.
In addition to this the regulatory authorities have heard the community and are responding by initiating research and issuing warnings to offending manufacturers. It is very much a catch up game at this stage, but with advances in regulatory technology, sustained pressure from the community, and renewed government support – we feel the regulatory authorities will soon be on top of their game and taking giant leaps in this area.
Keep up the pressure everyone.
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