Assessing the uptake of FSA guidance on clear food labelling

The Agency issued guidance on Clear Food Labelling in 2002. The Agency's Strategic Plan contains a commitment to monitor the uptake of this advice. A stakeholder meeting was held in July 2004 to help the Agency design a survey to meet this commitment.

The Agency commissioned Campden & Chorleywood Food Research Association to carry out the survey. A total of 396 products were sampled and assessment forms devised to measure the uptake of the guidance.

In general the research concluded that products had met most recommendations for best practice. Particularly evident was how closely the guidance was followed on grouping of information (83% of products conformed to the major aspects), on the provision of nutrition information (89% of products, with 80% of these doing so voluntarily), and on clear and unambiguous date marks (96% of products).

The recommendations that were not widely followed included that on font size (87% of products). A large number of products were also found to have given undue emphasis to features such as brand information at the expense of essential information as specified by the Agency's advice (71% of products).

The Food Standards Agency's stated aims for 2001-2006 included a series of initiatives to promote best practice within the food industry. In pursuit of this and as a response to research showing that many consumers found labels hard to use, in early 2001 the Agency established a Clear Labelling Task Force comprising individuals with a wide range of expertise, experience and interest, to advise on what might be done to improve the clarity of food labels.

It made recommendations to tackle each of these, drawing on existing guidelines, particularly those published by the Institute of Grocery Distribution on font size and clarity. The Task Force also recognised that products come in all shapes and sizes and that their labels could not be expected to conform to a single ideal format. Its approach, therefore, was to develop a format which could be used on most products, supplemented by alternatives that were recommended where size and/or shape preclude the use of the ideal.

In October 2002, the Food Standards Agency published guidance on Clear Food Labelling, with the purpose of encouraging brand holders to follow best practice so that consumers could more readily find, read and understand key labelling information.

The Agency's Strategic Plan 2005-2010 undertakes to review this guidance.

Although the existence of this guidance has been widely publicised and made generally available through the Food Standards Agency's website, the extent to which its provisions have been followed had not previously been measured. In July 2004 the Agency held a stakeholder meeting to assist with the planning of the survey.