Reid warns food industry over labelling
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《英国医生杂志》
Health secretary John Reid has warned the food industry that if it does not voluntarily introduce clear nutritional labelling on its products, the government will enlist the help of the European Commission to force it to comply. Dr Reid was speaking to the parliamentary health committee last week, to explain the feasibility and effectiveness of the proposals in the public health white paper, Choosing Health, published last November (BMJ 2004;329:1201, 20 Nov). Public health minister Melanie Johnson and deputy chief medical officer Fiona Adshead also attended.
His remarks came amid fears that the government intends to water down its public health agenda, including backing down on plans to introduce "traffic light" coding on foods, to help shoppers better understand the health implications of their purchases.
Dr Reid suggested that the public currently needed "a PhD in biochemistry and 20/20 to understand the nutritional value of food." Labelling was the "first step to allow adults to make healthy choices about what their kids should have," he said. The format of a simplified labelling system was open to discussion, but not the labelling itself. "We are not backing off . . .We will have food labelling," he emphasised.
Voluntary cooperation from the industry was preferable, he said, but should this not be forthcoming, enforcement would be sought. "I have already opened discussions about it with the European commissioner," he warned. "The best thing industry can do is to engage with us and the ."
Dr Reid said that the government fully intended to stand by all 170 recommendations made in the white paper, in recognition of the "increasing need to reduce sickness" and "prevent people being a drain on the health service."
He confirmed that the delivery strategy, along with physical activity and food and health action plans, would be published in March. Demand for alcohol treatment services had also been audited, he said.
Primary care trusts would be monitored every six months on core and locally agreed health improvement targets, which could include white paper objectives, he said. Eighty eight "spearhead" trusts in deprived areas had been given extra funding, ahead of schedule, to boost efforts to cut high levels of obesity and smoking.
But Dr Reid defended the decision not to completely ban smoking in public places in England. In Ireland, where the ban is total, thwarted smokers "displaced" their activity and smoked more at home, risking the health of their families, he said.
"In 97% of workplaces, smoking will be banned . . . Every single person will be better protected," he contended, referring to the smoking ban immediately around the bar area in outlets not serving food. "We have to balance health outcomes with the custodianship of freedom of a democratic society," he said.(London Caroline White)
His remarks came amid fears that the government intends to water down its public health agenda, including backing down on plans to introduce "traffic light" coding on foods, to help shoppers better understand the health implications of their purchases.
Dr Reid suggested that the public currently needed "a PhD in biochemistry and 20/20 to understand the nutritional value of food." Labelling was the "first step to allow adults to make healthy choices about what their kids should have," he said. The format of a simplified labelling system was open to discussion, but not the labelling itself. "We are not backing off . . .We will have food labelling," he emphasised.
Voluntary cooperation from the industry was preferable, he said, but should this not be forthcoming, enforcement would be sought. "I have already opened discussions about it with the European commissioner," he warned. "The best thing industry can do is to engage with us and the ."
Dr Reid said that the government fully intended to stand by all 170 recommendations made in the white paper, in recognition of the "increasing need to reduce sickness" and "prevent people being a drain on the health service."
He confirmed that the delivery strategy, along with physical activity and food and health action plans, would be published in March. Demand for alcohol treatment services had also been audited, he said.
Primary care trusts would be monitored every six months on core and locally agreed health improvement targets, which could include white paper objectives, he said. Eighty eight "spearhead" trusts in deprived areas had been given extra funding, ahead of schedule, to boost efforts to cut high levels of obesity and smoking.
But Dr Reid defended the decision not to completely ban smoking in public places in England. In Ireland, where the ban is total, thwarted smokers "displaced" their activity and smoked more at home, risking the health of their families, he said.
"In 97% of workplaces, smoking will be banned . . . Every single person will be better protected," he contended, referring to the smoking ban immediately around the bar area in outlets not serving food. "We have to balance health outcomes with the custodianship of freedom of a democratic society," he said.(London Caroline White)