Food & Drink Federation - 'bad Christmas joke'
The Food and Drink Federation (FDF) has criticised a British Heart Foundation (BHF) report as a "very bad Christmas cracker joke" after accusations of using packaging to mislead mothers.
The children's food marketing survey, described 'how parents are being misled' and found that "partial health claims and a mish-mash of food labelling systems" were confusing consumers about the nutritional value on products.
Peter Hollins, BHF Chief Executive, said: "Mums are having the wool pulled over their eyes by food manufacturers. Smoke-and-mirror tactics mean that foods targeted at children and are high in fat, salt and sugar are being disguised with partial health claims suggesting they're a healthy choice."
The survey also found 84% of participants agreed with the idea of a single, front-of-pack nutritional label. The BHF has requested a compulsory label using traffic lights and guideline daily amounts.
The FDF replied to the BHF press release, by saying it "read like a very bad Christmas cracker joke". Director of Communications, Julian Hunt, said, "It's short, makes very little sense and left us groaning."
Hunt said the sector took its responsibilities very seriously and the nutritional claims the BHF identified were not "partial health claims" but part of an EU-approved framework for information on food packs, and added "To claim otherwise is being completely disingenuous - or shows that the BHF is deliberately trying to mislead both mums and journalists at what is a very busy time for all of us."
The BHF report can be read by clicking here.
