Abstract
Israel has recently introduced regulations on front-of-
pack (FOP) labelling that will require food manufacturers
to include a red warning label on the package if certain
thresholds are exceeded. Israel is the first country in the
WHO European Region to apply such a system and it is
the only country to date that will require such mandatory
labelling. To complement the red warning label, the Israeli
government has also proposed that food manufacturers
and retailers will be able to voluntarily use a green
endorsement logo to promote consumption of healthier
products, for products that meet specific criteria. The
rationale behind the policies is the high rate of overweight,
obesity and diet-related noncommunicable diseases (NCDs)
seen in the Israeli population. Notably, the selection of the
labelling system was based on evidence indicating that the
Israeli population has inadequate understanding of the
nutritional hazards derived from frequent consumption
of certain products, especially ultra-processed ones, and
lower literacy/numeracy when compared to other countries
of similar economic development. The Israeli government
concluded that, without substantial mandatory measures
to urgently improve the public’s understanding of these
risks and without a simple measure that could affect their
behaviour, the above-mentioned health measures would
not improve, particularly among lower-income groups.
To address this, the Israeli Ministry of Health submitted
a regulation to ensure that information is displayed on
relevant foods and beverages in a clear, straightforward and
unambiguous manner.
pack (FOP) labelling that will require food manufacturers
to include a red warning label on the package if certain
thresholds are exceeded. Israel is the first country in the
WHO European Region to apply such a system and it is
the only country to date that will require such mandatory
labelling. To complement the red warning label, the Israeli
government has also proposed that food manufacturers
and retailers will be able to voluntarily use a green
endorsement logo to promote consumption of healthier
products, for products that meet specific criteria. The
rationale behind the policies is the high rate of overweight,
obesity and diet-related noncommunicable diseases (NCDs)
seen in the Israeli population. Notably, the selection of the
labelling system was based on evidence indicating that the
Israeli population has inadequate understanding of the
nutritional hazards derived from frequent consumption
of certain products, especially ultra-processed ones, and
lower literacy/numeracy when compared to other countries
of similar economic development. The Israeli government
concluded that, without substantial mandatory measures
to urgently improve the public’s understanding of these
risks and without a simple measure that could affect their
behaviour, the above-mentioned health measures would
not improve, particularly among lower-income groups.
To address this, the Israeli Ministry of Health submitted
a regulation to ensure that information is displayed on
relevant foods and beverages in a clear, straightforward and
unambiguous manner.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Title of host publication | Improving dietary intake and achieving food product improvement - policy opportunities and challenges for the WHO European Region in reducing salt and sugar in the diet. |
| Subtitle of host publication | Featuring case studies from United Kingdom, Israel, Spain, Portugal, Netherlands |
| Place of Publication | Copenhagen, Denmark |
| Publisher | World Health Organization. Regional Office for Europe |
| Chapter | 3 |
| Pages | 23-30 |
| Number of pages | 8 |
| State | Published - 2020 |