By Martin Banks - 16th March 2010
The problem is what colour do you take your cue from?
Renate Sommer
Parliament has rejected proposals for a "traffic light" system of food labelling.
MEPs voted against plans for an EU-wide colour coding system for food labelling on Tuesday.
Parliament's environment committee had to wade though some 800 amendments to proposed legislation concerning the rules on labelling of pre-packed food products.
The issue should have been dealt with in the last parliament but was postponed until after last June's elections because more than 1300 amendments had originally been tabled.
In the end, deputies supported moves to improve the legibility of the wording on products and for energy content details to be included on the front of foodstuffs.
But, controversially, the committee voted against a system whereby four key nutrients (fat, saturated fat, sugar and salt) would be colour coded red, yellow or green on the front of pack according their levels.
German EPP member Renate Sommer told reporters she was "pleased" the traffic light system had been rejected.
She said, "There was insufficient scientific evidence that it was necessary or useful. It could also have led to confusion for consumers and presented a big problem for industry.
"The problem is what colour do you take your cue from? The colour red is usually meant to indicate that someone should not do something. But if you only eat products coloured green then you are probably not eating an imbalanced diet."
But the decision was blasted by Monique Goyens, director general of Beuc, the European consumers' organisation, who said, "Research from across Europe has told us that consumers find colour coding the easiest and simplest way to make informed and healthy choices.
"When we clearly have an obesity epidemic spreading across Europe, and when consumers clearly want to make healthier choices about their diet, we really should give them the tools that work best and which they want.
"Today's vote is hugely disappointing. MEPs have missed the opportunity to make healthy food more accessible. We fear that the fight against childhood obesity, in particular, has taken a serious blow today.
"Parents more than anyone are the people who don't have the time to check detailed and complex information currently found on many food products.
"All we ask is that we have a clear, transparent system in place where all shoppers can make at a glance comparisons between various foods."
Sommer, meanwhile, accused UK MEPs of "pandering to a domestic audience" in supporting an amendment for a product's origin to be included on labels.
She said only 10 per cent of consumers were in favour of such information and had wanted an impact assessment exercise carried out before any final decision was taken.
"I am told this is an issue in the upcoming British general election and I am particularly disappointed with the British Tories," she said.
"They said they would support my call for an impact assessment but failed to do so. To me, this is merely pandering to a domestic audience ahead of an election.
"It is a form of protectionism that I find very dangerous and worrying."
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