The food labelling directive that passed its first reading in the European Parliament on 16 June which stipulates that food labels must plainly indicate the energy content (i.e. kilocalories/kilojoules) and the percentages of fat, carbohydrates and salt. In other words, the MEPs rejected the “traffic light” colour coding – red, amber and green according to how wholesome the food is – recommended by medical associations and organisations to combat obesity, cancer and diabetes. The Euro-deputies opted instead for the system backed by agri-business, which spent a billion euros lobbying them, explains EUObserver.com. La Stampa notes, however, that one of the amendments adopted prohibits ads vaunting the virtues of products that exceed a specified ceiling on fats, sugars and salt, such as Nutella, one of the jewels of the Italian food industry.
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