Food watchdogs from the Consumer Association’s (CA) Which? magazine have highlighted manufacturers and retailers who are not giving shoppers quite what they claim.
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In a survey for the magazine, the researchers found that many items on supermarket shelves do not really deliver what they promise.
Crab paste produced by leading brand Princes, for example, contained only 11% crab. The rest of the product was bulked out with mackerel and cod.
Chicken and Vegetables Savoury Rice produced for supermarket chain Safeway’s meanwhile contained 82% rice, but only 6% vegetables. The chicken languished just ahead of herbs at the end of the list of ingredients.
CA is testing dozens of brands and has said it will name and shame the worst offenders during an Honest Labelling campaign later this month. From the magazine, Liz Edwards told the Mirror: “We get a lot of complaints about confusing or misleading labelling.
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By GlobalData“Manufacturers need to be much more honest and up-front and the law needs tightening.”
The CA has said that it will also highlight those products that persist in labelling that Government guidelines say is misleading. For example, Jacobs Vitalinea fig rolls are labelled “94 per cent fat-free” and Go Ahead crisps are “85 per cent fat-free” – the CA points out that the products should say 6% and 15% fat, respectively.
