Fed: "Fat free" labels on lollies should be banned: parents

AAP General News (Australia)
04-02-2007
Fed: "Fat free" labels on lollies should be banned: parents

CANBERRA, April 2 AAP - Labels claiming that high-sugar foods are "fat free" can encourage
children to overindulge and should be banned, a group of health-conscious parents says.

The Parents Jury, an online activist group, surveyed its 2,500 members and found 95
per cent of those who responded felt the fat-free claims on confectionery and snack foods
were misleading.

The survey also found almost two-thirds of parents believed such labelling encouraged
children to over-consume the foods.

"Confectionery and snack items such as marshmallows and jelly snakes claiming to be
99 per cent fat free can deceive parents and children into thinking that they are a healthier
option," Kathy Chapman, a nutritionist from the Parents Jury, said.

"In fact, these foods are very high in energy and sugar and should only be eaten occasionally."

The group today said the government and food manufacturers should restrict the fat
free claims on food labels to products that were also low in kilojoules and sugar.

AAP jb/sb/srp/cdh

KEYWORD: FAT

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