A vendor arranges tomatoes on his stand at the Mahne Yehuda market in Jerusalem. Rising food and fuel prices in Israel have brought public pressure on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to announce tax relief measures and the country’s biggest trade union is considering a national strike (February 9,. (photo credit: BAZ RATNER/REUTERS)
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The Ministry of Health announced it is moving forward with plans to label foods it recommends as “healthy” with a green check mark, according to a ministry spokesperson. The symbol is meant to help consumers choose those foods that are inline with the principles of proper nutrition, as understood in the State of Israel.
In 2020, the ministry plans to roll out a red check mark, as well, for foods that it believes are less healthy.
The move is meant to “act with determination to improve the public’s diet,” explained Ministry of Health director general Moshe Bar Siman Tov.
“The purpose of the food labelling process is to change the nutritional habits of Israeli citizens by providing information to the public about food values,” explained Deputy Minister of Health Yaacov Litzman. “It is food consumers’ right to know what is recommended and what is not.”
Research supports the idea that packaging does influence consumer behavior at the time of purchase. According to research published by the Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, 70% or more of consumers use food labels at least some of the time.
In 2017, the US passed legislation to update specific sections of the Nutrition Facts panel to make it even easier for consumers to select healthier foods.
Prof. Ronit Andwalt, who directs the Nutrition Department at the ministry, said that among the foods that will receive the green check mark are fruits, vegetables, whole grains and animal products, such as dairy products and their substitutes, chicken, fish and some beef. Foods likely to receive the red mark are processed foods, candies and sweet drinks.
“It is the right of all of us to eat healthy food throughout our lives,’ said Andwalt, “from pregnancy, through childhood, adulthood and finally in our old age.”
In order to determine the foods that would suit the green symbol, an independent scientific committee was appointed, which gave its recommendations. The Ministry of Health on Thursday published a document that was made available to anyone interested in seeing it, including related professional and commercial bodies, to examine two alternatives for marking foods with the green symbol. The first alternative is to give the green check mark to foods directly recommended by the ministry’s scientific committee. The second is to put it on foods or combinations of foods that are based on the recommendations of the committee, but that were not specifically named by it.
The ministry is scheduled to make a decision based on feedback by August 5.
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