MP in call for improved food labelling

MP Faisal Rashid is backing a Diabetes UK campaign for improved food labelling.
Diabetes UK’s Food Upfront campaign calls on the Government to make clear and consistent food labelling compulsory on all packaged foods and in restaurants to tackle the obesity epidemic, help prevent Type 2 diabetes and make living with all types of diabetes easier.
Currently only three in `10 people feel well informed about the nutritional information of the food they buy. This makes it hard for people to make healthy food choices and is contributing to the obesity epidemic.
Clear food labels help people to make better choices l over the food they buy. Despite this, food labelling is not compulsory, and one in three food products don’t have front-of-pack labels at all.
The Warrington South MP said: “In the UK obesity is a serious and growing problem. Over one in three children leave primary school overweight or obese. Children with obesity are over five times more likely to be obese as adults and this increases their risk of developing serious health conditions such as Type 2 diabetes.
“Evidence shows that clear food labels help people to make better choices and gives more control over the food we buy. For people with diabetes, knowing how many carbs, calories and sugars there are in just one meal can be crucial.
“I am backing Diabetes UK’s calls on this issue. The Government must do more to ensure food labelling is clear and consistent so that consumers are better informed about their purchases.”