‘Traffic light food labelling should get the green light’: Professor Stephen Myers

The Australian Government is currently considering whether it will give the green, amber or red light to recommendations made by the Review of Food Labelling Law and Policy 20011 Report to implement a multiple traffic lights front-of-pack food labelling system.

A similar system is used widely by school canteens across Australia however Professor Stephen Myers, Director of the Health and Wellbeing Research Cluster in the School of Health and Human Sciences at Southern Cross University is concerned there will be some predictable industry opposition from food manufacturers who are highly invested in potentially ‘red light’ labeled products.

“The purpose of the system is to provide a traffic light for four components in the food. These are total fat, saturated fat, sugar and sodium (generally for salt, sodium chloride). Red means high and that these are occasional foods; amber means moderate, an okay choice and these foods can be eaten in moderation; and green means low and that these foods are the healthiest choice and can be eaten as often as desired,” Professor Myers said.

“You could anticipate that some companies manufacturing foods that people should not eat regularly - the red-light foods - will object to the system and as there a lot of these foods on the market, the lobby against the introduction of ‘traffic lights’ is likely to get heated.

“These companies will argue for freedom of choice and that we already have nutrition labels on foods that let the consumer decide. The reality is that the current nutritional labels have failed to do their job. The Review noted that The Australian Adult Literacy and Life Skills Survey in 2006 found that 53 per cent of adults had numeracy levels below those considered necessary to cope with the daily demands of a knowledge-based society. The introduction of a simple, visual, easy to understand system to classify foods and encourage healthy choices is in the interest of all Australians.

“Maggie Beer has recently been quoted in Fairfax as saying Australia had handed too much responsibility to the 'food police' in an article relating to this system. I would like to make the point that consumers are not obliged to follow the traffic light system. The traffic light system is recommended to be there as a simple mechanism to raise awareness of food choices for consumers.

“While it will be recommended that consumers follow this system most of the time, there are no obligations. Like the traffic lights that help consumers negotiate road safety, these labelling lights will help guide consumers through an increasingly complex web of food choices, steering people towards healthy food choices. This will be especially useful for pre-packaged and processed foods, which often contain hidden fats, sugar and salt.

“This system needs to be well explained to consumers and the Review recommended that its introduction be accompanied by comprehensive consumer education to explain and support the system. If this takes place it is my view that the system will have a substantive impact on helping consumers make better food choices.

“The traffic-light system will also allow health professionals to make specific recommendations to individual consumers such as recommending that individuals with high blood pressure not eat foods with an ‘amber’ or ‘red’ light for sodium, or a diabetic only eat foods with a ‘green’ light for sugar.

“Of course, as the report notes, a clear message would be sent to food producers who are manufacturing mostly ‘red’ foods that they have an opportunity to reconsider the relative healthiness of the product they are offering to consumers. It is important to note that the Report recommended that the system be introduced as voluntary, except in situations where companies were making health claims for their foods, where it would be compulsory.

“Ultimately however the choice will continue to remain with the consumer, it just means they will be more readily informed in a time-poor society about the choices they are making. I can only see that as a good idea.”

The Council of Australian Governments (COAG) and the Australia and New Zealand Food Regulation Ministerial Council (Ministerial Council) announced in 2009 they would undertake a comprehensive review of food labelling law and policy. The Review Panel presented the final report in January this year.

Professor Myers qualified in a Naturopathic Medicine in 1982 from the Southern School of Natural Therapies and a conventional medicine from the University of Newcastle in 1991. He received a doctoral degree in pharmacology for the University of Newcastle in 1999. He is recognised internationally as a leader in complementary medicine education and research. Professor Myers has been extensively involved with the development of complementary medicine as an academic discipline for the past 27 years. In 2004 he was awarded the prestigious Lady Cilento Award by the Complementary Healthcare Council for a sustained contribution to the field.

Photo: Professor Stephen Myers, Director of the Health and Wellbeing Research Cluster in the School of Health and Human Sciences at Southern Cross University.