The European Parliament on
Tuesday voted against Britain's so-called "traffic light"
food-labelling scheme.
The parliament approved a motion questioning the
scientific basis of the nutritional profiles at the heart of the
system with 402 votes in favour, 285 against and 22 abstentions.
The system is designed to help consumers make healthy
choices, by labelling food items red, amber or green according
to their fat, salt and sugar contents.
But it has come under fire, including from Italy, which is
concerned about the repercussions it will have on exports, such
as its olive oils, salamis and cheeses.
Critics have said the system creates many paradoxes, such
as having a red label for extra-virgin olive oil, which is
widely acknowledged to have many benefits as part of a balanced
diet, and a green one for diet sodas.
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