Nurses Support Introduction of Simpler Food Labelling System

Australia’s largest health union, the Australian Nursing and Midwifery Federation (ANMF), is supporting the need for the introduction of a simpler, more transparent food labelling system.
ANMF Federal Secretary, Lee Thomas, said assisting Australian consumers make good food choices will lead to a decrease in the growing levels of obesity and related chronic health illnesses, such as type-2 Diabetes, heart disease and stroke.
“The nation is experiencing an obesity epidemic with half of all adult Australians now overweight,” Ms Thomas said today. “As frontline healthcare professionals, nurses and midwives see the devastating consequences of obesity, from children through to older Australians and in particular parts of the population, such as Indigenous communities.”
Ms Thomas said the ANMF joined other health and consumer stakeholders in calling for the introduction of clear, comprehensible food labelling, like the Star Rating system.
“Opponents of the system must surely realise that Australian consumers have the right to know what they are ingesting,” Ms Thomas said. “The ANMF believes the current food labelling system could be simplified to assist consumers who quite often are making food choices while standing in supermarket isles doing their shopping,” Ms Thomas said.
“Regulators must work with the Government and consumers to make it easier for people to make informed, decisions about the foods and drinks they are choosing for themselves and their families.
“We believe there’s now a real need for a front of pack system of labelling which will be an important way of fighting obesity across the community – starting at the supermarket shelf.”