Proposal will create a loophole for manufacturers, claims Choice

Consumer watchdog Choice has made a submission to Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) regarding its proposed Nutrition, Health & Related Claims (P293) draft, claiming that the proposed changes will “create a loophole and potentially increase customer confusion”.

Choice said that while it supports the proposal to limit ‘fat free’ and ‘% fat free’ claims to healthy products, it is concerned that the proposal is too specific and manufacturers will be able to easily exploit the new rules. “Instead of claiming to be ‘99% fat free’ and having to meet the nutrient profile test,” Choice said, “manufacturers could simply use a ‘1% fat’ claim and avoid the scrutiny” of the proposed Nutrient Profiling Scoring Criteria.

“This means that unhealthy products could continue to carry claims, creating an inconsistent and confusing situation for shoppers,” said Choice.

To avoid this happening, Choice is calling for FSANZ’s Nutrient Profiling Scoring Criteria to be applied to all fat content claims.

The Australian Food and Grocery Council (AFGC) has also made a submission to FSANZ about the P293 proposal, arguing that it will threaten the future viability of the Australian food manufacturing industry. Read about it here.