Consumers and nutrition labelling 143 Standards Agency(FSA); the last-named has taken over responsibility for this area from the(now defunct) Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (MAFF) since april 2000 Nutrition information is, therefore, an aspect of a very broad debate, often highly politicised, about the nutritional quality of the modern food supply, and specifically about the contribution to the modern diet, and therefore to the health of the population, made by pre-packed foods which, together with fast food restaurants and take-aways, make a substantial contribution to the total dietary intake of a significant proportion of the UK population. In terms of issues, the provision of nutrition information ranks very high in the diet and health debate. The UK has possibly been more absorbed by this subject than have most other European Member States, a reflection, perhaps, of the cultural attitude towards food as fuel and the growing obsession with fitness and body form in population inclining towards obesity. Where food has traditionally been enjoyed as one of life's great pleasures, notably France, the most important factor is what the product tastes like, not the vital statisticsof its content. These cultural dif- ferences across Europe have had a significant bearing on the regulatory controls governing food labelling, including nutrition information, and are in part respon- sible for what is generally regarded as a somewhat user unfriendly approach to nutrition labelling. This will be discussed in greater detail later in the chapter, but firstly the current application of nutrition labelling will be considered The provision of nutrition information, as with the provision of any other form of information, is an enabling mechanism intended to assist the purchaser to make a reasoned choice about the product he or she is considering buying. The degree of interest in this particular segment of the mass of information printed on a food label is a matter which will be discussed in greater detail in section 6.4, but two essential points should be borne in mind: The provision of nutrition information on a label is voluntary, unless a claim is made Approximately 80%o of pre-packed foods manufactured in the UK carry nutri tion labelling; this is far higher than in most other EU Member States The strict and detailed regulatory requirements which govern the presentation of nutrition information are set out below, and it will be clear from a brief glance that the legislation was not drafted with consumer understanding in mind. This is not necessarily a criticism of the lawyers-laws are, after all, drafted and inter preted by lawyers, not by the general public. So whilst the formulaic nature of the required presentation may appear unnecessarily prescriptive, there is good reason for this. The intention of the current legislation was to encourage the pro- vision of nutrition information in a prescribed format which would allow con- sumers to compare the nutritional content of various products. The effectiveness of this policy is another issue which will be discussed in greater detail in a later section, but it is not arbitrary and reflects the complexity of negotiating legisla tion on a contentious issue to cover a large trading block made up of a dozen European Member States, risen to 15 at the time of writing. These states haveStandards Agency (FSA); the last-named has taken over responsibility for this area from the (now defunct) Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (MAFF) since April 2000. Nutrition information is, therefore, an aspect of a very broad debate, often highly politicised, about the nutritional quality of the modern food supply, and specifically about the contribution to the modern diet, and therefore to the health of the population, made by pre-packed ‘convenience’ foods which, together with ‘fast food’ restaurants and take-aways, make a substantial contribution to the total dietary intake of a significant proportion of the UK population. In terms of issues, the provision of nutrition information ranks very high in the diet and health debate. The UK has possibly been more absorbed by this subject than have most other European Member States, a reflection, perhaps, of the cultural attitude towards food as fuel and the growing obsession with fitness and body form in a population inclining towards obesity. Where food has traditionally been enjoyed as one of life’s great pleasures, notably France, the most important factor is what the product tastes like, not the ‘vital statistics’ of its content. These cultural dif￾ferences across Europe have had a significant bearing on the regulatory controls governing food labelling, including nutrition information, and are in part respon￾sible for what is generally regarded as a somewhat ‘user unfriendly’ approach to nutrition labelling. This will be discussed in greater detail later in the chapter, but firstly the current application of nutrition labelling will be considered. The provision of nutrition information, as with the provision of any other form of information, is an enabling mechanism intended to assist the purchaser to make a reasoned choice about the product he or she is considering buying. The degree of interest in this particular segment of the mass of information printed on a food label is a matter which will be discussed in greater detail in section 6.4, but two essential points should be borne in mind: • The provision of nutrition information on a label is voluntary, unless a claim is made. • Approximately 80% of pre-packed foods manufactured in the UK carry nutri￾tion labelling; this is far higher than in most other EU Member States. The strict and detailed regulatory requirements which govern the presentation of nutrition information are set out below, and it will be clear from a brief glance that the legislation was not drafted with consumer understanding in mind. This is not necessarily a criticism of the lawyers – laws are, after all, drafted and inter￾preted by lawyers, not by the general public. So whilst the formulaic nature of the required presentation may appear unnecessarily prescriptive, there is good reason for this. The intention of the current legislation was to encourage the pro￾vision of nutrition information in a prescribed format which would allow con￾sumers to compare the nutritional content of various products. The effectiveness of this policy is another issue which will be discussed in greater detail in a later section, but it is not arbitrary and reflects the complexity of negotiating legisla￾tion on a contentious issue to cover a large trading block made up of a dozen European Member States, risen to 15 at the time of writing. These states have Consumers and nutrition labelling 143