French consumer watchdog reinforces checks on food label health claims. THOUSANDS of health claims made by food manufacturers could be banned or reworded due to new regulations.
The French consumer protection watchdog DGCCRF is reinforcing its spot checks on products as part of a bigger, Europe-wide initiative that should come into force by 2013. Some 2,700 claims will be assessed for their truthfulness, and producers face fines of up to €375,000 for misleading advertising if they continue to make claims that cannot be backed up. The new European directive will also mean clearer labelling of nutritional content on food packaging. Calories, fat, sugar, protein and salt content must be displayed on all packaging and must be clearly visible. Ethical consumption makes mark on branding. Consumers in five of the world's leading economies believe business ethics have worsened in the past five years and are turning to "ethical consumerism" to make companies more accountable, according to research seen exclusively by the Financial Times.
A five-country study by GfK NOP, the market research group, found widespread pessimism about corporate practices, with 64 per cent of respondents in Germany and 55 per cent in the US perceiving the worst deterioration in standards. Almost half of the 5,000 consumers, also surveyed in the UK, France and Spain, judged that ethical behaviour from corporations had worsened. In contrast, 43 per cent of respondents across all five countries judged that brands with "ethical" claims - on environmental policies or treatment of staff and suppliers, for instance - would make business more answerable to the public. Chris Davis, head of GfK NOP's brand strategy centre of excellence, said: "The UK is the hothouse for what is coming. Source: GfK NOP. Best practice in farm animal welfare.
UN Says No to Factory Farming. The United Nations Special Rapporteur on the Right to Food recently presented his new report “Agro-ecology and the right to food” before the UN Human Rights Council.
Based on an extensive review of recent scientific literature, the report demonstrates that agroecology, if sufficiently supported, can double food production in entire regions within 10 years while mitigating climate change and alleviating rural poverty.The report therefore calls for a fundamental shift towards agro-ecology as a way for countries to feed themselves while addressing climate and poverty challenges.
In a press release, Special Rapporteur Mr. De Schutter said “To feed 9 billion people in 2050, we urgently need to adopt the most efficient farming techniques available.”