What about food labelling?
With the National Health and Nutrition Program (PNNS) set up more than ten years ago in France, the public authorities wanted to give pride of placeto good resolutionsin terms of overweight. However, it seems that it is the “awareness” that remains the source of the dietary balance with the right levels of fat, salt and sugar to absorb per day.
What is the purpose of labelling?
It is through 40 supermarkets that the government wants, for nearly three months, to test four new labelling systems tofight against overweight in France. Product labelling, it should be remembered, consists of affixing green pellets on the least caloric foods, orange on medium-caloric foods and red on those that are the most.
It is undeniable that this deterrent technique has great advantages and mainly that of being informative. But we are entitled to ask the question: “does this fundamentally change consumers’ nutritional habits”? The sociologist Jean-Louis Lambert remains critical of such measures because, for him, the solution does not lie in labelling alone: for the French to eat better, it is also necessary to encourage or even oblige distributors and producers to completely rethink the content of their productsso that they are healthier.
Labelling: a solution?
It makes it possible to givea “reference” that is the same for all. However, the principle of “green/orange/red” labels will only be applicable to half of the food sold in supermarkets. It is therefore insufficient, or at least unsatisfactory, for the observance of a real reduction in obesity. The “logo” can only be affixed to pre-packaged products and at retailers such as bakers, butchers or caterers no pellets will actually be used.
So, certainly, these labels are simple to understand but not very dissuasive because the majority of consumers seek, above all, a low cost associated with a pronounced and frank taste of the product. People who are concerned about a beneficial effect of the food on healthare in the minorityand rather of a higher socio-cultural level. The other segments of the population are more focused on immediacy, pleasure and spontaneous desire.
You have to be able to do things differently
It is clear that these are the basic behaviours that need to be changed. Because an overweight person can, thanks to labeling, learn to eat healthier but always in large quantities. Admittedly, it is better to “stuff” vegetables than “chips” not to gain weight, but this excessive consumption is not “balancing”. Again, food labelling is not the most effective tool to combat obesity or overweight.
In addition, a perverse effectcan be seen: if foods stamped “green” come to be victims of their success and therefore more bought than “red”, their price may increase since demand influences prices: the more important the latter, the more the price is also. Thus the “less well-off” risk associating foods classified as “red” as “good deals”, cheap foods … This is in line with the current system where it is financially wealthy households who often make the effort to learn about the composition of nutritional foods.
It therefore becomes obvious that, to influence the French towards a fairer diet, it is necessary to modify operating methods, behaviors and states of thought .
Stephen Paul is the lead author and founder of My Health Sponsor. Holder of a diploma in health and well-being coaching with more than 200 articles in the field of health, he makes it a point of honor to offer advice based on reliable information, based on scientific research, and verified by health professionals.