A UK-wide government consultation on food labelling is part of a plan to standardize information about the contents of food and drink products.
Minister for Public Health Michael Matheson, along with the other UK health ministers, wants to see all food manufacturers and retailers use the same system to show – on the front of packs – how much fat, salt and sugar, and how many calories are in their products.
Interested parties are invited to give their views on what a consistent, clear front of pack label should look like.
Matheson said: “Obesity is a serious issue for Scotland and that’s why we need to do all we can to enable people to make healthier choices.
“The more information people have about what’s in the food they are buying, the more likely they are to make healthy food choices.
“We hope that the consultation will enable us to put together proposals which will make food labelling clearer for consumers and the industry.”
Around 80% of food products sold in the UK already have some form of front-of-pack-labelling. But different retailers and manufacturers use different ways of labelling which could be confusing for consumers.
