AFGC disputes CHOICE’s criticism of “low-fat” claim
The Australian Food and Grocery Council (AFGC) has reacted to consumer advocacy group CHOICE’s criticisms of “low-fat” claims on foods.
AFGC Chief Executive Kate Carnell said, “If misleading claims are being made, industry would urge the regulators to enforce consumer protection laws. It is also important to remember there are people who need low-fat but not low-kilojoule diets, for example people with high cholesterol.”
Responding to CHOICE’s argument that nutrient profiling is in place in the US and is soon to be introduced in Europe, Ms Carnell said, “In fact in the US, nutrient profiling – which refers to criteria developed to assess the overall nutritional profile of a food – only relates to high-level health claims relating to chronic conditions.”
Ms Carnell also said the information about the levels of nutrients, such as the amount of sugar and fat in a product, is already available to consumers on the Nutrition Information Panel of every product.
Australian Food News has previously reported on the ongoing dispute between the CHOICE and the AFGC on food product labelling.
