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Fiji: Nutrition labelling sees positive change

27 Nov 2012

It will soon become mandatory in Fiji for packaged foods that display nutrition information to display the trans-fat, cholesterol, sugar and sodium content.

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Internationally, food labels are seen as an important preventative tool against diet-related disease. Giving consumers clear and complete nutrition information aims to inform healthier food choices.

CI has reported on labelling developments in the UK where all major supermarket retailers barring one have committed to front-of-pack labelling on own-brand products and what this means for labelling developments worldwide.

In Fiji, nutrition labels in their own right are not yet mandatory, but if a food manufacturer or importer wishes to include nutrient information on the packaging it has to follow regulatory guidelines. These stipulate a tabular label format displaying the nutrients in milligrams or grams per 100 grams of total mass. This format is designed to help consumers more easily compare products in terms of their nutritional value.

Fiji's food safety regulations and standards are considered advanced compared to other countries in the South Pacific region and elsewhere in the developing world; the result of many years of campaigning.

Josua M. Namoce of Fiji's Consumer Council spoke of this latest victory for Fijian consumers, "although nutrient labelling is not yet mandatory this is a first step towards better disclosures for consumers. We hope it is the first in a series of steps towards mandatory nutrient labeling".

Fiji's Prime Minister, Commodore Bainimarama, has urged Fijians to eat healthily and to be cautious of saturated fats and salt in their diet. Clear nutrition labelling will play an important role in enabling them to do so.