Euro Coop regrets deletion of provisions on mandatory front of pack

Euro Coop regrets deletion of provisions on mandatory front of pack

 Brussels, 19 April 2011 - Euro Coop strongly regrets the vote in the ENVI Committee today which rejected the amendments establishing the mandatory indication of the five key nutrients (salt, sugar, fat, saturated fats and energy content) on the front of pack.

Consumer cooperatives, by their nature messengers of consumer expectations in terms of food information, had strongly called the MEPs of the ENVI Committee to take a clear stand in favour of the consumers’ right to know and to choose. The front of pack indication of the five main nutrients as proposed by the rapporteurs of the Greens, S&D, GUE and ALDE, was a very meaningful and feasible solution. “By voting to indicate the most significant nutrients for consumers diet on a different place than front of pack, the ENVI Committee missed a huge opportunity to defend consumers’ interests – Rodrigo Gouveia, Secretary General of Euro Coop said after the vote this morning – and to act for the promotion of a healthier diet for European citizens”.  

On the other hand, we are glad to see that consumers’ opinion has been taken into account as regards the possibility of showing the nutrition information according to additional forms of expression at Member State level. This would leave enough flexibility to food operators and Member States to provide consumers with the information the way they most understand it.

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 Euro Coop ID number in the EC’s register of interest representatives: 3819438251-87