Australian confectioners condemn labelling proposals

Speaking at the Ai Group confectionery sector’s premier event, ConTech 2011, Simon Talbot, director of corporate affairs ANZ at Kraft Foods, says, “Confectionery isn’t a food replacement, it’s a treat. Traffic light labelling would take the magic out of it being a treat and would instead create an aisle of shame. Confectionery products make up less than five per cent of calories in the average Australian diet.”

Ai Group confectionery sector principal advocate, Tim Piper, adds, “Confectionery companies are uniting to better educate consumers about their diet in response to proposed changes to labelling laws which would negatively impact the confectionery industry. The proposed traffic-light labelling would allocate red, yellow and green labels on confectionery products based on their ingredients.  The changes, proposed by the Blewett Report of the Review of Food Labelling Law and Policy, are currently being considered by the Federal Government.”

Piper notes, “The Ai Group confectionery sector supports the daily intake guide as a consumer reference guide instead of the traffic light labelling. The confectionery industry is actively collaborating with industry to find an alternative solution.  These warning labels won’t better educate the consumer, they’ll only risk crippling an important Australian industry. We will be considering how to better use our ‘Treatwise’ logo to ensure consumers get the right information and can use it to make wise choices in their diet.”

“Manufacturing is already under escalating pressure and it needs support not measures that could lead to job losses and business closures, especially among our smaller manufacturers,” Piper concludes.