Food Labelling Issues

Bula Fiji

Absolutely agree about the portion size Brad. Personally I think that goes a long way to explain the success of diet programs with pre-packaged foods. It's not so much about what we eat (who doesn't know that donuts for breakfast, lunch and dinner are not good for you and will cause excessive weight gain?) but rather the gargantuan portions of otherwise healthy food that we eat. I think the concept of a 'normal' portion size has been lost over the preceding decades. Those countries who have a tradition of shared food in the centre of the table like Greece, have the highest rates of obesity.

With respect to the country of origin of foods I think it goes beyond reduced food miles for environmental purposes and support for our own farmers who often do it tough. I personally never buy any foodstuff that originates in China. This is the country that killed and maimed its own babies in 2008 by adding melamine to baby formula. It simply does not have the same food standards or transparency of production as Australia and I am not willing to risk my own family's health and well being to save a few dollars. Our food is cleaner and highly regulated. This comes at a cost but it is a cost that I am prepared to pay.

I do not look at food stars. I simply try to avoid all processed food products. Fresh fruit, vegetables, meat, fish and dairy don't need food stars. If you cook the produce yourself you will know exactly how much sugar, salt and fat is added.