Faculty of Law, University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia.
BMC Public Health. 2010 Nov 2;10:662. doi: 10.1186/1471-2458-10-662.
In Australia, the food industry and public health groups are locked in serious struggle for regulatory influence over the terms of front-of-pack food labelling. Clear, unambiguous labelling of the nutritional content of pre-packaged foods and of standardized food items sold in chain restaurants is consistent with the prevailing philosophy of 'personal responsibility'. An interpretive, front-of-pack labelling scheme has the capacity to encourage healthier patterns of eating, and to be a catalyst for improvements in the nutritional quality of food products through re-formulation. On the other hand, the strength of opposition of the Australian Food and Grocery Council to 'Traffic Light Labelling', and its efforts to promote a non-interpretive, voluntary scheme, invite the interpretation that the food industry is resistant to any reforms that could destabilise current (unhealthy) purchasing patterns and the revenues they represent.
This article argues that although policies that aim to educate consumers about the nutritional content of food are welcome, they are only one part of a broader basket of policies that are needed to make progress on obesity prevention and public health nutrition. However, to the extent that food labelling has the capacity to inform and empower consumers to make healthier choices--and to be a catalyst for improving the nutritional quality of commercial recipes--it has an important role to play. Furthermore, given the dietary impact of meals eaten in fast food and franchise restaurants, interpretive labelling requirements should not be restricted to pre-packaged foods.
Food industry resistance to an interpretive food labelling scheme is an important test for government, and a case study of how self-interest prompts industry to promote weaker, voluntary schemes that pre-empt and undermine progressive public health regulation.
在澳大利亚，食品行业和公共卫生团体为了监管影响预包装食品标签的条件而陷入了激烈的斗争。清晰、明确地标示预包装食品的营养成分和连锁餐厅销售的标准化食品符合“个人责任”的主流理念。解释性的、预包装标签方案有能力鼓励更健康的饮食习惯，并通过重新配方促进食品产品营养质量的提高。另一方面，澳大利亚食品杂货理事会强烈反对“红绿灯标签”，并努力推广非解释性的自愿方案，这让人有理由认为食品行业抵制任何可能破坏当前（不健康）购买模式及其代表的收入的改革。
本文认为，虽然旨在教育消费者了解食品营养成分的政策是受欢迎的，但它们只是更广泛的一篮子政策的一部分，这些政策需要在预防肥胖和公共卫生营养方面取得进展。然而，在标签能够告知并赋予消费者做出更健康选择的能力，并成为改善商业配方营养质量的催化剂的范围内，它具有重要的作用。此外，鉴于在快餐和特许经营餐厅用餐对饮食的影响，解释性标签要求不应仅限于预包装食品。
食品行业对解释性食品标签方案的抵制对政府来说是一个重要的考验，也是一个案例研究，说明如何为了自身利益促使行业推动更薄弱、自愿的方案，这些方案先发制人并破坏了渐进式的公共卫生监管。
