European consumer associations, including Belgium's Test Achats, are urging the European Commission to implement nutrition profiles on food products to avoid misleading consumers.
This system, which was supposed to be in place since 2009, aims to restrict positive health claims used by manufacturers for marketing purposes on generally unhealthy products.
In 2006, the European Union adopted a regulation on nutritional and health claims, requiring the European Commission to establish nutrition profiles by 2009. These profiles would determine the maximum amount of sugar, fats, or salts a product could have to be allowed to make health claims, explained Test Achats.
Sixteen years later, these nutrition profiles still do not exist, allowing for health marketing to gloss over some harmful aspects of products.
An example according to Test Achats is the ceral Kellogg’s Frosties. "On the front of the package [it states] that they are rich in iron and vitamin D. On the back, it’s a bit clearer: they are sugar-coated cornflakes enriched with vitamins and iron. Per serving (officially 30 grams), you consume 2.5 µg of vitamin D, but more importantly, 11 grams of sugar."
The consumer protection organisation considers this "misleading and dangerous" communication.
"Obesity is increasing in Europe, and the rules around nutritional profiling could help remedy this by banning such misleading practices. All the legislation is already in place, it just needs to be implemented," concluded Test Achats spokesperson, Laura Clays.
