How can you help? By
writing for change.
Yes, I would appreciate your help in writing and
talking to Ministers, your local member and the media to keep them aware of the
extent of problems caused by poor food regulation. The current addresses of all
·
Letters to
and from FSANZ about misleading and
deceptive labelling, referring the issue back to
ACCC (May 2011)
- Outcome from review of food labelling in
Australia (January 2011)
In 2010 FIN members put a huge effort into two submissions and now we are
looking at what we might have achieved. Our main focus was on ingredient labels
and we basically asked for full disclosure: all ingredients listed,
other information such as full country of origin labelling
and penalties for labels with incorrect information. You can see a list of what
we asked for, and what we got below:
We
asked for: all additives to be listed in the ingredient label instead of the 5% labelling loophole, under which some additives don't have
to be listed in certain conditions.
What we got: the
panel said 'it may not be feasible' to fit that information on the packet. In
other words, no, all additives are not listed (paragraph 4.22). Funny that the
same multinational food companies can fit this information on the label in the
EU and UK!
We
asked for: full disclosure of every ingredient in a product.
What we got: the
panel recommended that 'vegetable oil' should no longer be an acceptable label
- instead the type of vegetable oil should be specified (e.g. palm oil,
sunflower oil). So that's a smidge of good news. Pity we won't necessarily know
whether it contains synthetic antioxidants if the level is below 5%.
We
asked for: the same mandatory warning about certain artificial colours
as is used in Europe ('may have an adverse effect on activity and attention in
children')
What we got: a
recommendation that the food industry and others develop a voluntary code so
that consumers can quickly identify additives that are of agreed medical
priority for sensitive consumers. Not much chance of an improvement there!
(Recommendation 11)
We
asked for: Labelling of high glutamate ingredients (e.g. hydrolysed vegetable protein) that can have the same
effects as MSG.
What we got:
Nothing about glutamate labelling. MSG (flavour enhancer 621) is not even called an additive - now
it is 'an entity' (paragraph 4.23).
We
asked for: better monitoring of dodgy food labels and
consequences for manufacturers who break the rules. Our submission was quoted
in paragraph 8.6 "you ‘can walk into any supermarket and find dozens of
breaches of the label regulations’".
What we got: a
recommendation for a new and effectively funded body to monitor food labelling and complaints. Great! Here's hoping it happens,
and it works.
See the full review
at
See the full FIN submissions below.
- Emails
to and from the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission about
misleading and deceptive labelling issues with
Zed Snack Food Company's Dip Stix Sweet Chili
and Lime and with Bazaar Lavash flatbread
(November 2010)
- The
Red Frog letter from a mother to FSANZ (September 2010)
·
Final submission to Australian Review of Labelling Policy (May 2010)
·
Submission
to FSANZ opposing extension of use of artificial red colour Erythrosine 127 (Application A603) (December
2009)
·
Submission to Review of labeling policy and
law plus attachments (November 2009)
·
Submission to Chair of FSANZ on colours from Kids
First Campaign (March 2009)
·
Submission to Chair on FSANZ on reactions to additive
635 (ribonucleotides) from Food Intolerance Network (March 2009)
·
Submission on ADHD to Royal Australian College of
Physicians on their draft guidelines on ADHD, which in draft minimize diet and
ignore relevant research (July 2008)
·
MEDIA
RELEASE: Let’s halve the rate of asthma says Network
(February 2007)
- Letter to FSANZ withdrawing
application on Declaration of Antioxidants in Fats and Oils (January
2007). See draft FSANZ Assessment Report http://www.foodstandards.gov.au/_srcfiles/A555%20Antioxidant%20declaration%20IAR%20FINAL.pdf
(August 2006)
·
Submission to FSANZ on Declaration of
Antioxidants in Fats and Oil (Initial Assessment Report A555) (August 2006)
·
Letters to
Kraft, FSANZ and NSW Food Authority regarding labeling on Kraft Extra Light
Philadelphia Cream Cheese (August 2006)
·
Letter to Woolworths regarding deletion of
·
Submission to NICNAS (National Industrial Chemicals
Notification and Assessment Scheme) towards their review “Promoting Safer
Chemical Use: Towards better regulation of chemicals in
·
Letter to and positive response from
Amalgamated Holdings (Greater Union Cinema chain) about the ban on taking your
own food into their cinemas (September 2005).
·
10 page submission to FSANZ on Proposal 298 benzoates and
sulphites in food (September 2005)
·
Letters to and from FSANZ seeking to amend the Food
Standards Code regarding labelling of all antioxidants in fats and oils
(November 2004).
·
Letters to and from FSANZ regarding widespread
illegal use of sulphites in mince (November 2004).
·
Letters to and from FSANZ regarding use of flavours
as vehicles for un-declared colours and preservatives (May 2004).
·
Submission
·
Submission
To see dozens of earlier letters to Ministers and food
regulators see here
