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Petition to have carbs displayed on front of packaging

ThePenguinPimp

Well-Known Member
Messages
130
Location
London
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Pump
If diabetes is one of the biggest and growing problems why are carbs not already displayed on the front of packaging? Only displaying 'Sugars' is misleading as that is all the media talks about. ALL carbohydrate (ok except that from fibre but that has already been deducted from the carb value on the back) enter our blood as sugar!

I have started a petition which I would be really grateful if you would sign and share. I am not hoping to gain anything from this other than forcing the food industry to stop pretending that its only 'sugars' we have to look out for!

Thank you for taking the time to read this.

https://you.38degrees.org.uk/petitions/display-carbohydrate-value-on-front-of-all-food-packaging
The shorter version (if you are kind enough to tweet) is https://bit.ly/2IVHJTW




Duplicate threads merged by Mod
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Signed. Thanks
 
Not signed... but you and I have had this discussion already via facebook I think.
 
Squire Fulwood said:
Er ..... is there a problem?
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No I just think that the whole traffic light system is misleading and pointless and that we should instead educate people to read the labels on the back where they get the full picture rather than what the "powers that be" think we should see.
Maybe I should start a petition to get the label on the back moved to the front with no coloured bits but allowing me to think for myself. Then again I just find it easier to turn the pack over.
 
We are in agreement. I have often invited people to look at a loaf of bread labeling. Check the carbs on the back and then the sugar on the front of the same loaf since you may learn something.

The thing I learned when I looked into it is that the traffic light system is produced by the same people as the Healthy Eating Guide.

Please don't have nightmares.
 
Signed, despite @bulkbiker ’s reservations, (sorry!), belt and braces approach for me, have the info front and back!
 
It gets worse. I found I objected most strongly to the bloke with the colouring pen. The arrogance is something I find hard to accept.

To be honest I think the traffic light system is the product of the industry or a diseased mind.
 
In the 18 months since I was diagnosed I have corrected three people on the meaning of the traffic lights - two of whom had been eating low sugar as they believed it would help their diabetes and the other one was hugely overweight - even standing next to me - bemoaning that she could never lose weight even on a healthy diet - of about 90 percent carbs. I told her it was all misinformation and she couldn't believe it.
 
We have to correct almost every newbie on this - they are told to cut sugar, and at least in my case, told to read the traffic lights.

I signed because whilst we have the TL system, having carbs added to it is better than nothing. How many people (other than us) actually look at the nutrition label?
 
I know a T2 on insulin who totally gets the importance of low carb diet and had managed to get his hba1c down some but was still on insulin. When looking at what he was eating he was eating 'No added sugar' snacks, some of which had 76g of carbs per 100g (which is the same as golden syrup!).

There is a website called low carb warehouse which sells such products and I had a conversation with the site owner who told me it was perfectly ok to market products like that as sugar free as it was not from sugar.
 
Sorry but they do not "get" the importance of low carb if they are eating 76% carb foods...and they have obviously not been told to check the back of the pack.
 
I have signed. I am sick to death of misleading (on purpose in my view) low sugar products in strategic places in supermarkets. I know it is easy to say, but I definitely would not have eaten rice, potatoes, pasta and the like if I knew our bodies treat these the same as sugar, everyone should know this.
 
bulkbiker said:
Sorry but they do not "get" the importance of low carb if they are eating 76% carb foods...and they have obviously not been told to check the back of the pack.
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Totally agree.. but he was fooled by the misleading rubbish on the front of the packets.. even people trying to do their best are being conned
 
ThePenguinPimp said:
Totally agree.. but he was fooled by the misleading rubbish on the front of the packets.. even people trying to do their best are being conned
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People wrongly assume the important stuff is on the front and if it comes from a website claiming to be low carb and says 'sugar free'.. they are intentionally misleading and the word carbohydrate is never in the news! The nhs website for t2 diabetes is a joke and actually says people should be eating pasta!!
 
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