CLYMBOL study: priorities for future front-of-pack health claims and symbols

February 20th, 2019

The 4-year EU-funded research project CLYMBOL studied the presence and consumer understanding of claims and symbols, as well as its impact on consumer understanding and behaviour across Europe. Choices has participated in this project. It included more than 20 empirical studies, that generated a large number of evidence-based policy and communication recommendations. All these recommendations have been evaluated by 100 European stakeholders from science, business, government, NGOs, to produce a priority list for the successful future development of front-of-pack labels and health claims.

The diet for spaceship Earth

February 12th, 2019

“This is the first attempt to set universal scientific targets for the food system that apply to all people and the planet” says the report Food, Planet, Health issued by the EAT Forum and the Lancet end of January. Food production and food consumption need to change dramatically. According to the report, unhealthy diets are the greatest risk of morbidity and mortality on earth and are the greatest threat to planetary sustainability.

GCC Standardization Organisation (GSO) and Choices International Foundation Start Working Together on Healthier Food Policies

January 31st, 2019

Riyadh / The Hague, 31 January 2019 – Stimulation of healthy diets has become an urgent matter, as the prevalence of food-related non-communicable diseases and obesity has been dramatically increasing over the last two decades. Therefore, the GCC Standardization Organization (GSO) and the Choices International Foundation have agreed to cooperate to foster healthier food choices in the GCC region in cooperation with GSO Member States.

Both organisations agree on the importance of high-quality standards for healthy food that reflect current science and regulatory practice. Such standards are essential for implementing governmental health policies, for creating a level playing field for the food industry to develop and market healthier products and for enforcing consumer confidence in the quality of the food products they buy.

Consequently, the first objective for the collaboration is to establish customized voluntary standards for healthy food, that can be used by food & health authorities and food companies in the region.

As the need for reliable information about healthy food is rapidly increasing among health professionals and experts working for governments in the GCC area, CSO and Choices will closely work together to develop training, to share information and to invest in scientific research.

According to Mrs Clémence Ross, president of the Choices International Foundation, GSO is a front runner in international criteria setting: “The creation of one regional standard for healthy food is a unique and welcome initiative. It will facilitate international cooperation and international trade. I call upon more regions to follow this example.”

HE. Mr Saud Alkhusaibi, GSO Secretary-General, said “GSO has developed more than1167 Gulf Standards and 529 Gulf Technical Regulations for Food Safety. Food standards give confidence to consumers in the safety, quality and authenticity of what they eat. By signing the letter of intent, GSO and Choices International Foundation will work jointly to increase and spread the culture of healthy food in the region.”