Diabetes Council welcomes new labelling laws

The Australian Diabetes Council (ADC) has welcomed the introduction of the new Standard 1.2.7 - Nutrition, Health and Related Claims, which became law on 18 January 2013.

Dr Alan Barclay, ADC Head of Research, said the new system is a significant improvement as it will allow food manufacturers to more clearly communicate to consumers the health benefits of their products.

“For many years manufacturers have had to rely on limited nutrient content claims like ‘low fat’ to imply that a food is a healthier option, and higher level claims have been prohibited,” Dr Barclay said. “The new system will enable a manufacturer to communicate the health benefits more directly.”

The ADC supports the requirement for higher level health claims to only be allowed on food and drinks that meet Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) nutrient profile scoring criterion, Dr Barclay said.