Bite Back 2030: have you spotted misleading packaging?

This is a guest post by Rebecca Morgan. All views expressed are Rebecca’s own and not necessarily shared by Which?. 

We’ve all been tempted by glossy food labels, or assured by claims of ‘no added sugar’ or ‘packed with protein’.

Packaging plays a huge part when it comes to influencing what we eat, and given that power, we believe marketing teams should be putting our health at the heart of their designs.

Labelling should exist to help us – not make it harder to know what’s healthy for us and what’s not. It should be used as a tool to prevent child obesity rates from rising, not as something that is adding to the problem.

Yet only 3 in 10 adults currently feel they are given enough information about what’s in the food they’re buying.

If we had honest, simple, and helpful labelling like the traffic light system out there on everything it would be a major step toward putting health at the top of the agenda. If food companies won’t do it voluntarily, shouldn’t it be something for the government to step up to? 

Biting Back

Youth-led movement Bite Back 2030 has been gathering examples from shoppers of deliberately misleading product claims and has recently chosen two finalists to go head to head.

Thousands have been voting via social media and the winner will be announced soon. It’s hoped it will help put pressure on companies to review their practices.

A great video that highlights the flood of unhealthy food ads, young people are seeing. Follow @BiteBack2030 as we work to change this with our amazing Youth Board #BiteBack2030 https://t.co/GoTsgyasRI

— #BiteBack2030 (@BiteBack2030) February 21, 2020

Bite Back has a bold mission: to achieve a world where all young people have the opportunity to be healthy, by working to stem the tide of unhealthy foods and improve the flow of affordable, healthy options for young people.

Britain is lagging behind

On 1 January this year, Israel announced the implementation of mandatory red warning labels on all food and drink products with high levels of salt, sugar or saturated fat.

A green label can be added to products recommended by the Health Ministry, and products that are purchased in open bins will have a sticker affixed nearby.

Canada is also planning to introduce mandatory warning labels indicating high levels (more than 15% of the daily value) of salt, sugar or saturated fat. Health Canada held a consultation on proposed labels last year. Chile introduced warning labels back in 2016.

Our ambition is to ensure that more young people are a healthy weight every year, halving childhood obesity by 2030.

We can solve this but we need to act now. Consistent, clear and simple labelling is one of the many things that can make a difference.

This was a guest post by Rebecca Morgan. All views expressed were Rebecca’s own and not necessarily shared by Which?. 

Have you spotted examples of misleading and confusing food packaging? Let us know in the comments.