As part of the UK government’s obesity strategy they have targeted food and nutrition labelling with plans including: calorie labelling on menus (in places with over 250 employees), and potentially on alcoholic drinks, and gathering information on the UK’s traffic light labelling system (1) But what are nutrition labels and what information do they contain?

References:

1. https://www.gov.uk/government/news/new-obesity-strategy-unveiled-as-country-urged-to-lose-weight-to-beat-coronavirus-covid-19-and-protect-the-nhs#:~:text=A%20raft%20of%20measures%20have,19%20and%20protect%20the%20NHS.&text=Rather%20than%20focusing%20primarily%20on,to%20lose%20weight%20as%20well. 

2. https://www.food.gov.uk/business-guidance/nutrition-labelling 

3. https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/PDF/?uri=CELEX:02011R1169-20180101&from=EN 

4. https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/595961/Nutrition_Technical_Guidance.pdf 

5. https://www.nutrition.org.uk/nutritionscience/foodfacts/labelling.html?start=1 

6. https://www.legislation.gov.uk/eur/2011/1169/article/30 

7. https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/front-of-pack-nutrition-labelling-guidance#:~:text=The%20Front%20of%20Pack%20nutrition,to%20consumers%20(EU%20FIC). 

8. https://www.nutrition.org.uk/healthyliving/helpingyoueatwell/324-labels.html?start=3 

9. https://www.nutrition.org.uk/healthyliving/helpingyoueatwell/324-labels.html?start=4&__cf_chl_jschl_tk__=39ec8021df03cc813f872b14f283b212a3893c5c-1599467608-0-Aa7D8tQVNAa24f2INkOls1ZAKQM-qD0pY4KD9ZFzyN7lU-RBbSzWHQUvOncKfLJq2eoWC1oHCHLzASaHlIze_ZWV4wOphDVvxzzlYxbkeetqsNdSmVWFVBSBXffnmCahXpvuqzvxCweQ4-WWsaZiAUw9LzigPBQ7B9UaSwCjA1Lej04MKD_wUQU6cHh1Vj-75bC6A2rDnJMpDHuy_d2SF6FQRe2JSNUkvW76IJZUrrzhzj_SbDKQAwmlU3QfuDyiGpqNr61NNxs-HMaDcHPTVhqdfQ2eq9Fgz8RN8J0Ce4ICK5K4ipJaB9XXG3VJwTlYZxyb2jbuVV8fr0hunvCG0sPs6eyqwRQsRE7AhAcLxw6VXaB2szTEFYyCfqB7Te_VceCIDknrZTv2AirzZUUu5E0 

10. https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/eat-well/what-are-reference-intakes-on-food-labels/