Italy has requested that EU competition ministers evaluate the effects of the UK traffic light food labelling system on national products such as olive oil and cold meats.
The food labels were introduced to supermarket products in June 2013.
As a result of the new UK labelling procedures, Italian products - such as salami and cheese - were given a negative red label.
Italian ministers travelled to Brussels to ask the EU to study how the labelling was affecting the food industry.
They wish to know its effect on the “EU market, on industrial competitiveness, on the correct information for consumers, and of the safeguarding of quality brands", reported the Italian news agency ANSA.
“Scaring consumers is wrong”, said Italian Health Minister Beatrice Lorezin in December, adding that the Mediterranean diet should be promoted.
She explained that such a diet was about eating more fish, white meat, olive oil, fresh fruit and vegetables, and less carbohydrates.
Ireland, France, Luxembourg, Spain, Portugal, Greece, Cyprus, Romania, Slovenia, Slovakia and Croatia are also backing the campaign against the recently introduced food labelling.
However, the National Health Service (NHS) said that “any red on the label means the food is high in fat, saturated fat, salt or sugars, and these are the foods we should cut down on”.
@ 2014 ESM Magazine
