The Ministry of Health will implement a system of five colors in the labeling of foods, according to has announced east Monday the holder of the portfolio, María Luisa Carcedo. The model that chooses the Government is the Nutriscore and will adjust the food in function of its content in saturated fats, sugar, salt, calories, fiber and protein for consumers to “compare with other products and make an informed decision”, assured the minister.

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The initiative, which is part of the strategy of prevention of obesity, comes after five multinational companies of the food sector to develop its own model of three colors, similar to the one proposed for Healing, and that will lead some countries of the European Union before the end of the year. The measure is now pending the end of the drafting of a Decree-Law that it is preparing a Health and that, after being approved by the Government, must be validated by the Congress.

labelling that sets out the model Nutriscore. Ministry of Health

The code Nutriscore, which was established in France six months ago, consists of a graph in which the dark green and light green will identify the foods which are most healthy, while orange and red are what will be of lower nutritional quality. The yellow is for foods with a medium quality. In addition, it does so according to the content per 100 grams, unlike the system proposed by the multinationals that are calculated on servings, something that according to the Organisation of Consumers and Users (OCU) could induce error.

The OCU welcomes the initiative of the Government, which values better than the proposed labeling for the industry, but expects this to take care of more criteria and reflect “additional information to consumers who need it for health”, as the presence of additives, or the degree of processing of the product.

Health, which ensures that he has studied other models, argues that by wanting to carry Nutriscore to the labels follow the recommendations of the scientific societies and the World Health Organization Bets10 WHO. Researcher in nutrition at the University of Paris 13, Pilar Galan, recalled in an interview with the Efe news agency that “it is an obligation to inform in an understandable manner to consumers about the nutritional quality of the food you are going to eat.” Galán said that this model is the favorite of the spaniards “so much in the intention to purchase and trust.” The own Carcedo has defended Nutriscorefrente the rest of the models, that has assured, “have not been implemented by the governments”.

beyond the

tags The Executive of Pedro Sanchez also intends to ban the sale of “foods with nutrient profiles unhealthy” in the school. What is done with the aim to strengthen the NAOS Strategy (Nutrition, physical Activity, and Obesity Prevention) also and you would need to develop the law on Food Safety and Nutrition. Carcedo has advanced that the contracts awarded to suppliers, catering services, canteens and vending machines must be equipped with criteria of nutritional quality in addition to safety as required. And to do this developed in coordination with the autonomous communities a protocol to follow that will follow the recommendations of the EU and the WHO. “It is necessary that the public spaces of all kinds become centers of health promoters,” said Carcedo.

The advertising of food and beverages directed to children of age will also be subject to regulation. Health warns that this influences the preferences of boys and girls. Therefore, to limit these advertisements directed at minors under the age of 15 years. And that, in addition, will have to adhere to the ethical standards of the Code PAOS regulation, which since 2005 reduces the selling pressure on the child population of these products with the goal of limiting the incidence of childhood obesity.

In Spain, according to a study published in may of this year by the European Initiative for Surveillance bahis siteleri of Childhood Obesity the WHO, about 40% of children are overweight and of these 19% of children —nearly one out of every five— and 17% of girls are obese. Only Cyprus exceeds these figures.