Superquinn labelling system will inform consumers about the food they buy, writes Fiona Tyrell
A customer-friendly nutrition labelling system launched by Superquinn aims to help customers see what exactly they are buying and to make more informed choices when shopping for food.
From now on all labels on Superquinn's own-brand products will now list the salt, fat, calorie and fibre content of the product, as well as advice on recommended nutritional daily allowances The new labelling will also display easy-to-understand nutritional benefits of the food.
Under the system, all Superquinn labels will also detail the major allergens - such as wheat, gluten and nuts - that may be present in the product.
The Superquinn chain will be the first Irish retailer to instigate this practice, 12 months ahead of new EU legislation that requires such information be displayed.
The listing of major allergens will make a huge difference for customers with special dietary needs. It will also make a huge difference for people suffering from allergies, according to Breda Gavin, Superquinn's Food and Nutrition advisor, who says that the majority of queries filed with Superquinn are related to allergen content in food products.
The move comes in response to wide-scale confusion among consumers concerning product labels and health claims, according to Gavin.
"In recent years, consumers have become increasingly concerned about nutrition. They want the information but they can't make sense of the information they are getting and they get quite frustrated. That's essentially what we are trying to avoid."
This comes at a time when 50 per cent of the Irish adult population is now either overweight or obese, with the incidence of obesity rising in children, adds the food advisor.
For now, the labelling of food products and health claims on food products is "ad hoc", Gavin explains. Superquinn's response to this problem is to inform the consumer and let them make the best choice for themselves, she says.
"A key element in achieving this is clear, easy-to-understand and relevant labelling for the consumer. This will ensure that our customers are making an informed choice in their food decisions. Information on fat and calorie levels that consumers can understand, and that relates back to their overall requirements, is vital in the prevention of this new epidemic," she says, all in a bid to help dispel the confusion that surrounds labelling.
Unless products make a health claim, nutrition labelling is voluntary and many products don't provide nutritional information at all. The format used may also vary from product to product, making it even more difficult for consumers to compare the nutrition information on the different items they buy, she says.
Despite the fact that there is a growing awareness about the salt content in food, many products only list the sodium content on their labels and expect people to do the maths (multiply the total sodium shown on the label by 2.5) to figure out the salt content, Gavin explains. "This is not informing the consumer. People are just not going to do these sums in the shop aisle."
Similarly, a lot of random health claims are made on products that add to the confusion for the consumer, she says. The result, Gavin argues, is that various health and nutrition claims, such as "light", "low", "increased" and "less", carry "little meaning" for consumers.
"Take for example a label for a 'low-cholesterol bagel'. This is true, but misleading. Bagels are naturally low in cholesterol, but this may lead a consumer to think that a different brand of bagel is higher in cholesterol."
The new Superquinn label template will list eight major nutrients (including salt, carbohydrates, fat, protein and fibre) on all of its own brand pre-packed products. Nutrition information will be provided per portion of the pre-packed product, as well as per 100 grams. Salt information will be displayed as salt per serving value, as well as in terms of sodium content.
Guideline daily amounts (GDAs) will also be clearly displayed on all labels. This ensures customers can make an informed decision based on their overall daily nutritional requirements.
In addition, 10 symbols have been developed to highlight the nutritional benefits that may be assigned to products. These symbols will be placed on the front of the product so that consumers can tell at a glance whether the product is suitable for vegetarians, has no added sugar or is low in calories.
The new labels will hit the Superquinn shelves later this month but it will take a number of months before all Superquinn own-brand products carry the new label template.