Call for manufacturers to be required to list all the contents of a food product.
A group advising the government on food labelling has recommended that all food products should carry a list of ingredients which could cause allergies. The Food Labelling Group has also called for a ban on foods carrying misleading health or nutritional claims.
Food manufacturers are already obliged under law to list the main ingredients in products. However, there are gaps in the legislation which mean that not all the specific ingredients have to be listed.
This means that if a food contains mayonnaise, the manufacturer does not have to list the ingredients in mayonnaise as well.
The legislation is especially important for people with allergies or intolerances. Paula Mee is a nutritionist with Superquinn and answers customer food queries. She says that the gaps in the legislation could be putting consumers at risk.
The report recommends that major allergens like peanuts and milk be clearly labelled. Others believe that the entire contents of a product need to be listed.
Consultant Immunologist Dr Bruce Mitchell says that a small trace of a product can trigger an allergic reaction.
The advisory group also recommends that labels like "fat free" or "100% natural" be banned from our supermarket shelves unless they can be scientifically proven to be true.
Minister for Agriculture Joe Walsh welcomed the report and said that he would respond to the recommendations early in the new year.
An RTÉ News report broadcast on 10 December 2002. The reporter is Aoife Kavanagh.
