Food labelling 30% wrong

The NSW Food Authority has found that mandatory food labels, spelling out the nutritional information of food, are often inaccurate and misleading, with 30% of the foods tested getting at least one ingredient wrong.

The study results are now being independently analysed by Sydney University, and may prompt a shake-up of the country’s food labelling laws. Food nutrition panels found on processed food are relied upon by many people suffering chronic conditions like diabetes, high cholesterol, and heart disease.

Dr Stefan Fabiansson , who supervised the study for the NSW Food Authority which examined 70 packaged items, found that the accuracy in the nutrition information, panel information, was not good. “ Giving leeway and allowing for small variations, 70% of the products complied, and 30% were outside the limits.

”In one case, the amount of trans fat contained in a brand of potato chips was 13 times higher than on the label,” Dr Fabiansson said

After the study results were independently analysed by Sydney University the whole labelling issue would be reviewed in 2007 by the NSW Food Authority.