Dietitians have applauded the Federal Government’s plan to develop a single front-of-pack food labelling system.

The thumbs up from the nation’s peak nutritional body comes after the government shelved a recommendation to introduce ‘traffic light’ food labelling.

The government has announced it will work with the food industry and public health groups to forge the front-of-pack labelling model, aimed at helping shoppers choose healthy foods.

Dietitians Association of Australia CEO Claire Hewat said she supported plans for the new system but warned it should not be based solely on combating overweight rates and obesity in Australia.

Ms Hewat said the DAA has been campaigning for a food labelling system that takes into account both ‘positive’ and ‘negative’ nutrients, and promotes healthier choices as well as highlighting poorer choices.

“We need to make decisions based on the evidence at hand and what’s best for all Australians, not just some groups within the population, such as people who are overweight or obese,” she said.

“Food is for everyone, and our labelling system must reflect that.

“DAA wants healthy choices to be easy choices, and this includes having clear, easy-to-read and factual nutrition information on food and drink labels,” she said.

“But we need to make sure any new labelling initiative doesn’t cause further confusion among the public and has the best chance of influencing all Australians to make better food choices regardless of what their different needs may be.”

The government, which has considered 61 recommendations from a national Review of Food Labelling Law and Policy, wants standards for nutrition and health claims on food labels, such as ‘low fat’ and ‘high in fibre’, to be improved so that only foods meeting certain nutritional criteria are labelled with health claims.

It also wants better information in back-of-pack labelling, detailing added sugars, fats and vegetable oils, as well as mandating pregnancy warning labels on alcohol within two years, and the formation of a National Nutritional Policy.

The government will meet states and territories and the New Zealand Government to discuss its proposals on December 9.