Latest news with #healthlabels
Irish Times
23-07-2025
- Business
- Irish Times
Drinks Ireland warned Taoiseach that alcohol health labelling plans seen as ‘trade barrier' by US
A drinks industry representative organisation warned Taoiseach Micheál Martin that plans for health labels on alcohol have been 'identified as a barrier to trade by the US' during a meeting sought to discuss the impact of US president Donald Trump's threatened tariffs. The meeting also heard that the industry was seeking a delay in the introduction of the planned labelling regime. The rules – which are to include cancer warnings – were due to take effect in May 2026. The Government decided on Tuesday to delay the measure for two years amid ongoing trade uncertainty. A report published by US trade representative Jamieson Greer's office at the end of March detailed what the United States regards as trade barriers worldwide. READ MORE The Irish plans for alcohol health labelling were included in a section on the European Union . The report notes that the US industry has 'raised concerns' that the intended unique labelling requirements in the Republic are in addition to EU-wide regulations and 'would be costly and may disrupt US exports within the EU single market'. Do Sinn Féin need to change tack after slump in the polls? Listen | 38:36 Drinks Ireland – part of business lobby group Ibec – met Mr Martin on April 11th, along with several alcohol producers. A note of the meeting released by the Department of the Taoiseach under the Freedom of Information Act says that Drinks Ireland highlighted how the labelling requirements were identified as a barrier to trade by the US. The note also said: 'The sector, while open to labelling requirements, was seeking some delay from Government on their introduction.' Mr Martin is said to have 'noted the comments of Drinks Ireland in this regard'. In response to an Irish Times query on the meeting, the department said that 28 of the 31 provisions in the Public Health (Alcohol) Act – which includes the labelling plans – have been started. These include 'major changes on advertising, sponsorship, retail display of alcohol, and alcohol promotions, as well as the introduction of minimum unit pricing. 'The Minister for Health is aligned with the Taoiseach, Tánaiste, and all Ministers on the need for a whole-of-Government response to trade and tariffs.' A Drinks Ireland statement said it welcomed the 'opportunity for ongoing engagement ... to avoid further escalation and to seek a negotiated resolution. The Irish drinks sector is export-focused, with €2 billion in annual exports, and the US market is critical for our members throughout the country.' The statement added that the sector is 'particularly exposed' to US tariffs. On Tuesday, Minister for Trade Simon Harris updated Cabinet on the ongoing trade talks between the EU and US to reach an agreement in advance of Mr Trump's August 1st tariff deadline. As part of this, Ministers were advised that the alcohol health warning labels would be deferred for two years to 2028, following concerns raised about the impact of their implementation in the current global trading environment. The delay is to allow industry, domestic and international, to prepare for their implementation. The Cabinet was told the decision follows concerns raised by domestic interests at the Government trade forum around the potential to undermine international competitiveness.
Yahoo
01-07-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Nutrition warning labels are hitting shelves near you — earlier than expected
Health Canada's new front-of-package nutrition warning labels are beginning to appear on store shelves six months ahead of the food industry's deadline. First announced in 2022, the black-and-white labels alert shoppers if a product is high in sugar, sodium and/or saturated fat — which the federal department says can lead to increased health risks like stroke, obesity, heart disease, Type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure and some types of cancers. "I think these can be a really great starting point for people that are looking to use labels as nutrition information sources. But I do think that there are some limitations," said Brittany Brown, a dietitian based in Dartmouth, N.S. "... Right now, it's just going to be kind of functioning as a nutrition warning label, so it's going to give consumers the information when things are high in sodium, high in saturated fat [and] high in sugar, but it's not really going to tell them more details than that." Brown said flipping over the package will show details about percentages of daily value. She said the new label is automatically placed on foods that have 15 per cent or more of the daily value of sugar, saturated fat or sodium. "If something only has 14 per cent of the daily value of sodium, it's not going to trigger the nutrition warning so that's a bit of a missed opportunity." The intention behind the labels, according to Health Canada, is to help shoppers make "quick and informed choices" when buying food and support health professionals in educating people about food. Brown said other countries have been using front-of-label packaging for years. For example, some European countries use Nutri-Score, which grades foods between A and E. "A" foods would be high nutritional quality while "E" would be lower nutritional quality. Brown said while Health Canada's labels can be useful, they don't address certain complexities around food like cost. "We know that food security is a really big challenge that people are faced with. So even if I am looking at the grocery store and I see that something is high in sugar, but my dollar only goes so far, I'm still going to have to choose that food item potentially," Brown said. For example, Brown said things like frozen entrees could end up with these labels, but for some that may be all an individual or family can afford. "So I think that there is a bit of a risk with making us feel a little bit more judgy about some of the foods that we're eating, and we really need to be careful about not not putting that on to people." Liesel Carlsson, a professor of nutrition and dietetics at Acadia University in Wolfville, N.S., said she thinks shoppers may be surprised when the labels begin to appear on daily staples, like cereal, breads and some dairy products — though she could see that changing with time as companies adjust their recipes to no longer trigger the label. "These labels don't look good on packaging. So the real story here and part of the reason that industry was given a very long time in order to get their labels onto their packages is that many industry players will reformulate their products," Carlsson said. But what's most interesting, she said, is that these labels are likely to result in more products that are inexpensive "that are still in this highly processed category but are less damaging to health." In terms of the labels themselves, Carlsson said there is evidence to show that they're effective. "Even when consumers are not even seeking nutrition information, this type of front-of-pack label will catch people's eyes," she said, but added the look of Canada's labels are "a little bit underwhelming" — especially when compared to some South American countries, which use large black stop signs to communicate a similar message. Although the food industry has until Jan. 1, 2026, to put the front-of-package labels on the foods, some products already have it. The Nova Scotia-based grocery chain Sobeys, for example, has the label on many of its store-brand products, like Compliments and Big 8. These included items in the frozen food and snack aisle, like microwave popcorn, frozen chicken wings, burgers and pop. "We are committed to meeting the Health Canada front of pack labelling requirements and to empowering customers with clear information that supports the choices they make in our stores every day," Sobeys said in an email to CBC News. "We have made good progress to make the labelling changes to our Own Brands assortment ahead of the deadline by working proactively with our supplier partners." The labels are mandatory for prepacked foods, but Health Canada notes there are some exemptions. Certain dairy products such as plain milk, plain yogurt and cheese are exempt "because they are important sources of calcium that is needed to promote bone health and reduce the risk of osteoporosis." Health Canada said raw, single-ingredient ground meats and poultry are exempt "to avoid giving the impression they are nutritionally inferior to whole cuts that do not carry a nutrition label." Butter, sugar, salt and other products used for the same purpose are also exempt. Some products are also exempt for technical reasons, like foods in very small packages. MORE TOP STORIES
The Independent
24-06-2025
- Health
- The Independent
Alcohol labels should warn of cancer risk, urge health groups
Alcoholic drinks should have labels that explicitly state the link between drinking and cancer, an alliance of doctors, charities and public experts has urged. The labels are vital to combatting a historic lack of awareness among Britons that alcohol consumption is proven to cause seven forms of cancer, as well as 17,000 cases of the disease a year, they claim. The campaign to have warnings placed on alcoholic drinks is being spearheaded by the World Cancer Research Fund (WCRF), which has written a letter to Sir Keir Starmer. They demanded that 'bold and unambiguous' labels be placed on all drinks containing alcohol, while also calling for a minimum alcohol pricing of 65p per unit in England. 'The evidence is clear: health labelling on alcoholic drinks is urgently needed in the UK to help save lives,' it said. 'They should carry strong, clear messages about the health risks, which include the risk of cancer, far beyond vague advice like 'consume in moderation'.' Kate Oldridge-Turner, the WCRF's head of policy and public affairs, said: 'Providing alcohol warning labels would empower millions to make informed choices by clearly understanding the risks.' Dr Helen Croker, assistant director of research and policy at WCRF, suggested 'bottles of beer show less information than bottles of orange juice', suggesting that England must have a national alcohol strategy. It has not had a plan in place since 2012. From next May, Ireland will become the first country in the world to include cancer warning labels on alcoholic drinks. They will be required to warn consumers of a 'direct link between alcohol and fatal cancers'. Earlier this year, the World Health Organisation's European office issued calls for such labelling to become commonplace, publishing a report entitled: 'Alcohol health warning labels: a public health perspective for Europe'. Introducing the report, WHO regional director Dr Hans Henri P. Kluge claimed that 'clear and prominent health warning labels on alcohol, which include a specific cancer warning, are a cornerstone of the right to health'. The organisation added in the report that policymakers should 'resist all the pressure that will inevitably come from commercial actors' who suggest warning labels will not work. Alcohol industry spokespeople have since voiced their opposition to warning labels, claiming they can create 'unnecessary anxiety'. A spokesperson for the Portman Group, a drinks industry-funded body that oversees alcohol labelling in the UK, told The Guardian: 'Whilst we do not dispute the link between alcohol and certain cancers, and that drinking at harmful levels is dangerous and increases risks, blanket cancer warning labels are not a proportionate policy measure and do not put the risks into an appropriate context. 'This can create unnecessary anxiety, eroding trust in health advice and alienating the very people who require support.' They added that most drinks already include the advice from the UK's chief medical officers to drink no more than 14 units of alcohol per week.
