Consumer protection demands honest advertising statements
Muesli bars "without added sugar" with over 40 percent sugar in them, a ready meal with "extra vegetables" totaling two percent spinach: consumer protection denounces foods whose manufacturers use misleading claims to describe unhealthy foods as healthy.
The market research carried out by the Foundation for Consumer Protection (SKS) in December 2012 and January 2013 did not come at this time by chance: EU rules on nutrition and health claims on foods have been in force in Switzerland since the beginning of the year. A register lists which messages are permitted in which case. Foods with advertising claims that are not listed in the register may no longer be sold. However, there is a transitional period of one year; existing stocks may still be used up.
In its study "Clean labeling of children's foods", the SKS shows the means that food manufacturers are currently still using "to present sweets, breakfast cereals or potato chips as healthy for parents and tempting for children". The study was published on Wednesday.
Sugar in the small print
The SKS has found lollipops that tempt with fruit juice and vitamins but contain just one percent concentrated fruit juice - but over 75 percent sugar. Or breakfast cereals with the intrusive information that they contain over a third whole grain. You have to look in the small print to find out that they contain just as much sugar, writes the SKS. Claims such as "without preservatives", "with eight vitamins" or "without flavor enhancers" mainly adorn products that are too sweet, too fatty or too salty.
"It is unacceptable that more and more children and adolescents are suffering from obesity, but the providers are deceiving parents with deceptive advertising." In addition to sweet content, children are also tempted by enticing, colorful packaging, competitions and toys to demand precisely these products.
Honest children's food
Consumer protection therefore wants to further restrict clean labeling. Among other things, it is calling for unhealthy foods aimed at children not to be advertised with statements that unilaterally promote the positive properties of the product. Furthermore, advertising for unhealthy foods aimed at children should be restricted. Claims such as "without flavor enhancers" or "without preservatives" may only be used if no substances with the same or a similar effect are actually contained - specifically yeast extracts containing the flavor enhancer glutamate or acidifiers. (SDA)
