Pack shot

DH has launched its consultation on food labelling, aimed at a creating single system of front of pack nutritional information display.   Currently, around 80% of food products sold in the UK do provide nutritional labelling, but there are many systems.  DH estimates that if the big 7 supermarkets all hamonised their nutritional labelling, this would affect about half of all the food sold in the UK.  Responses are due in by 5 August.  Join the queue!  A recent study of Australian consumers found rather poor understanding of energy labelling at least.  The May issueof Public Health Nutrition carries a few articles on the subject, , looking at strategies to increase food label use int he US, German consumer responses to traffic light labelling systems and an online test from New Zealand of consumer response to low sodium labelling.

May contain ...

How consumers/patients respond to labelling foods with "may contain" warnings is the subject of a qualitative study in BMC Public Health. A study from the US suggests that consumers' self reported attention to nutrition labelling doesn't match the reality. Published in the Journal of the American Dietetic Association, the study used an eye-tracking device to measure behaviour, particularly considering label positioning. Closer to home, the Coeliac Society offers commissioners some guidance on community pharmacy supply of gluten free foods.

Not quite the tooth fairy

Much commented on in the press is a systematic review of the benefits of sugar-free products for dental health. The researchers found something of a swings and roundabouts situation: while sugar-free products may help to prevent dental caries, they often also contain acidic flavourings and or preservatives that are damaging to dental enamel. The article goes on to discuss the status of health claims for food: one of the sweeteners singled out for analysis, xylitol, has been approved for marketing as "tooth friendly" and is a common ingredient in chewing gum. The study's authors warn that "the term sugar-free may generate false security because people may automatically believe that sugar-free products are safe on teeth." A recent review of non-fluoride preventive measures for dental caries from the American Dental Association (ADA) considered the evidence for using sugar-free chewing gum preventively was not overly strong. This did not, however, prevent an article in Dentisty.co.uk from suggesting that xylitol had been given the "thumbs up," while the ADA's study merely notes that in high risk patients these treatments may be useful adjuncts to usual care including changes in diet and use of fluoride.