Fast food labelling may be required soon

The NSW Food Authority and NSW Health are strong advocates for having fast food (or quick service) businesses publishing specific dietary information about their products. The two bodies made a joint submission about this issue to the national food labelling review currently underway.

In the USA, these business types must already include calorie / kilojoule information beside each item on their menus / menu boards, depending upon the type of business and how many outlets they have.

The NSW submission is asking for these businesses to place the following information for each product into their menus / menu boards; calorie / kilojoule intake, saturated fat, trans-fat and salt content as a minimum. The submission also points out that the actual definition of fast food will need to be determined as part of this potential inclusion in the Food Standards Code.

The NSW Premier, Kristina Keneally, said the proposal was about “encouraging people to make healthier lifestyle and eating choices-decisions they can only make if they have all the information”.

The food labelling review has completed it’s forum stage and it is expected that the final report will be presented to the Australian and New Zealand Food Regulation Ministerial Council in December and then once approved to the Council of Australian Governments early in 2011.