Foodwatch launches plan for better eating in Europe

Foodwatch has unveiled a new five-point plan in the lead-up to the European Parliament elections on June 6. This plan underscores the need to prioritize consumer interests over those of the food industry within EU food policy.

The mess on uur plates

Foodwatch reports that the food industry’s influence in European politics is significant, partly due to substantial lobbying budgets. As a result, essential laws for healthy and safe food are not being enacted. Obesity and type II diabetes are on the rise, and more than half of EU citizens are overweight. Despite this, there is a lack of urgency among European politicians to prioritize health, as evidenced by the withdrawal of the Pesticide Reduction Law, a key component of the European Green Deal.

Waiting for legislation

Despite initially ambitious plans to reform the Food Information to Consumers Regulation, these reforms have been delayed. Such legislation would aid consumers in making healthier choices by clarifying what should be included on food packaging. The anticipated improvements in policy for sustainable and healthy food systems are also still pending.

European five-point plan for better eating in the EU

Foodwatch's five-point plan focuses on several key areas. It advocates for curbing the food industry's lobbying and creating a healthier food environment, including making the Nutri-Score mandatory and banning unhealthy food marketing to children. It also calls for stricter regulations to combat food misinformation and for agriculture to gradually become completely pesticide-free. Finally, Foodwatch is pushing for transparency in food pricing and the implementation of the long-awaited Sustainable Food Systems Framework.

Foodwatch.org