Mary Upton (Dublin South Central, Labour)
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Question 352: To ask the Minister for Health and Children the reason, further to Parliamentary Question No. 376 of 13 February 2007, commissioning research on Irish consumers' interpretations of GDA labelling compared with traffic light food labelling would not help her Department play a properly informed role in the development of a consumer friendly EU wide approach to nutrition labelling; the way her Department proposes to play a meaningful role in facilitating such a development without being aware of how Irish consumers interpret GDA or traffic light labels; and if she will make a statement on the matter of her views on evidence based policy making. [6412/07]

Seán Power (Kildare South, Fianna Fail)
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As indicated in reply to Parliamentary Question No. 376 of 13 February 2007, it is my Department's view that clarity in front of pack labelling needs to be achieved through the development of a consumer-friendly, EU wide approach to nutrition labelling, given our concerns that current front of pack may be contributing to consumer confusion.

My Department and the Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI) are focusing efforts on the labelling reform process currently underway in the European Union, where front of pack labelling will be examined. As a first step it is important that the concept of front of pack labelling be fully considered; such considerations include, inter alia, the objectives of such labelling, whether it should be provided on a mandatory or voluntary basis, the nutrients which might be included and the basis of such labelling (100g/100ml or serving size). It is only following these considerations that the merits and demerits of different approaches e.g. traffic lights / GDA based schemes can be examined, and progress on a harmonised approach achieved.

The Irish position on the review is informed by responses received to the national consultations on the 'Review of Food Labelling Legislation' and 'Nutrition Labelling: Review of Technical Issues' which were undertaken by the FSAI last year, and other labelling research undertaken by Government Departments and agencies. Officials of my Department are also in regular contact with officials in other Government Departments and agencies in order to ensure that the broad Irish position is represented at the discussions.

While I have no proposals at present to commission research on the lines suggested, I do not rule out the possibility that it may be worthwhile to consider such research at some later stage.