Food Standards Agency
Thursday 28 August 2008
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We're involved in a range of initiatives to investigate what improvements you would like to see in relation to food labelling.
The Food Standards Agency (FSA) commissioned a pilot study to investigate the potential of eye tracking technology as a way of discerning what food packaging information shoppers really look at rather than relying on what they say they look at. The results of the study may be used to inform the design of any future FSA research about how shoppers use food labels.
This report looks at all the main UK food assurance schemes to see whether they were following the best practice guidance, as published by the Agency in 2003.
The UK Food Standards Agency (FSA) commissioned Leatherhead Food International (LFI) to examine the extent of nutrition labelling used on food packaging and to estimate the cost to industry of making this type of labelling mandatory. The study ran from February 2006 to September 2006.
The Agency has published the results of a small initial scoping study to explore and gain a deeper understanding of the information consumers want and need to see on food labelling in the future, to assist in policy development and guide future research.
On 21 September 2006, the Board of the Food Standards Agency asked that consumer research be undertaken to determine what consumers looked for on the label.
The Agency has published the outcome of work conducted by the Joint Health Claims Initiative, which uses Well Established Nutrient Function Statements (WENFS) to test the UK's approach to collecting health claims.
This survey was conducted as part of an Agency programme that aims to underpin and assist implementation of the Agency's objective of promoting informative labelling to help consumers.
This survey was conducted as part of an Agency programme that aims to underpin and assist implementation of the Agency's objective of promoting informative labelling to help consumers.
The Food Standards Agency issued Guidance on the use of eight marketing terms on food labels in 2002 entitled 'Criteria for the use of the terms fresh, pure, natural etc. in food labelling'. The Agency's Strategic Plan 2005-2010 undertakes to assess the impact of this guidance.
Options for definitions for use in relation to food promotion and children's diets
Held at Aviation House, 125 Kingsway, London: 12 October 2004
The Food Standards Agency launched an investigation following a report by consumer magazine Which? in March 2004 that some processing plants re-label their poultry meat several times before it reaches the shops, extending its 'use by' dates to up to 20 days after slaughter.
Held on Wednesday 4 August 2004 at Food Standards Agency HQ, Aviation House, London.The intention of the meeting was to bring key stakeholders together to discuss a way forward for guidance on the use of 'May Contain' nut contamination warnings, a strategic objective the Agency is committed to achieving by 2006.
In June 2004 the Agency commissioned research to seek the views of older children on the various options detailed in the draft Action Plan on Food Promotions and Children’s Foods, and also on the potential likely effectiveness of some of these options in influencing children’s diets.
In April this year the Agency commissioned research to seek the views of low-income consumers on a range of options to address the way in which foods are promoted and marketed to children.
In July 2002, the Agency issued criteria for the use of the terms Fresh, Pure, Natural etc in labelling. It followed recommendations from the Food Advisory Committee, and a public consultation on draft guidance.
In January 2003, the European Commission published a preliminary draft proposal for a regulation on the voluntary addition of vitamins and minerals and of certain other substances to foods.
The aim of this research was to inform discussions on guidelines for nut trace contamination (NTC) warning designs for products that contain nuts/may have been contaminated by nut traces.
Consumers have identified a number of different information issues with regard to non-prepacked foods including allergens, date marks, logos and nutrition information. Allergens, the use of healthy eating information, logos and origin labelling are also important issues in relation to catering establishments.
This shopping basket comparison was carried out to test the premise that people with nut allergy take longer to shop, find it difficult to locate, read and believe nut trace contamination information.
In 2001 the Food Advisory Committee, which advised the Agency on food policy issues, issued advice about the use of the terms fresh, natural, pure etc. in the labelling of food.
The Food Labelling Forum grew out of the Better Food Labelling Initiative. We wanted to use Open Forums as an opportunity to describe, and provide updates on, the progress of the Food Labelling Action Plan.
The qualitative research on which this report is based was commissioned by COI Communications on behalf of the Food Standards Agency to inform the future development of nutritional labelling.
This advice has been drawn up by an ad hoc taskforce with a wide range of expertise, experience and interests.
The FAC's report on the use of the terms 'fresh', 'pure', 'natural' etc. in food labelling.
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