EU plan: Food labels show how much fat people get from food

The color scale from green to yellow to red and the letters A to E indicates how heavy the food is the consumer’s body. Customers will find their way similar to energy labels on home appliances. Scientists recommended this system, for example, in March of this year, more than 260 experts and dozens of professional associations in the European Union signed a call for mandatory labeling of the energy value of food by the entire European Union.

According to the European Commission’s plan, standardized food labeling should be a measure of the so-called Green Agreement for Europe. Its possible adoption can be decided next year, after which the system will be introduced by the individual states.

The Czechs have not yet joined the new food brand, as have many other countries. At the same time, some consumer advocates are convinced that this designation will be appropriate even in domestic conditions. “The current legislation allows for some nutritional information to be placed on the front of the package on a voluntary basis, which creates a situation that is not entirely clear,” said Edward Hexova, director of the consumer organization dTest for your religion. “Consolidation, whether by Nutri-Score or otherwise, will thus make it easier for consumers to make their decisions,” she said.

Grocers agree

Nutritionists also agree. “It wouldn’t be bad if people thought about it more.” Peter Tlaskal, obesity doctor and chief physician in the department of medical nutrition at Motul University Hospital in Prague, told Dinnick, when there are crayons, it is definitely better for them than if they read some numbers. “This can be easily linked to the fact that they cross the street into the green zone and they have to stop at the red zone,” he said.

Food producers also accept this form of labeling, but only as long as the introduction is voluntary. It also draws attention to the shortcomings of the chosen evaluation. For example, according to dining room head Dana Vychova, some foods containing artificial sweeteners may be marked a “healthy” green. “On the contrary, the fruit juice will be red because there is a lot of sugar in it. But it still belongs to the fruit,” Vychova told Dinnick.

“From our point of view, it is an unresolved issue,” she said. Some consumer organizations see this in a similar way. “It can be confusing. Let people take responsibility for themselves and make their own decisions,” says Lebor Dubal of the Czech Consumers Association. According to him, the labeling of food products should be voluntary.

A new survey by Ipsos for the Trade and Tourism Association and the Quality Board finds that customers will be interested in easier food information. According to the survey, four-fifths of customers would welcome the Nutri-Score system, especially those trying to be environmentally friendly. In the numbers provided so far on nutritional values, only a small fraction of customers, especially younger ones, are fully directed. “Even for people who are interested in this data, it is often problematic,” said Tomas Broza, president of the Association for Trade and Tourism.