KEY POINTS:
A food scientist has served a wake-up call on manufacturers after a survey showing nutrition labels on food fortified with vitamins and minerals are not to be trusted.
Dr Barbara Thomson, from Environmental Science and Research measured nutrient levels in 160 foods, including baby food, cereal and fruit drinks and compared them with manufacturers' claims printed on labels.
The Christchurch scientist found glaring differences in levels of vitamin C, D and A, folate, calcium, iron and selenium.
Nearly 58 per cent of samples didn't meet the label claims, The Press newspaper reported.
Of those, 15 per cent had fewer nutrients than claimed on the label, potentially breaching the Fair Trading Act, which prohibits false representations of products.
And 42.5 per cent contained more nutrient than claimed, which could lead to consumers getting too much of a good thing. The other 42.5 per cent met the label claims.
"The labels don't necessarily reflect what's in the food," Dr Thomson said.
"Being over the label claim can be just as bad. The work we've done shows that the products are up to five times over."
Dr Thomson said her message to manufacturers was: "Wake-up call, guys. Watch this space."
Her tests were done for the New Zealand Food Safety Authority over three years, and up to five batches of each food were tested to ensure accuracy.
Dr Thomson was now taking a closer look a folate levels in products before mandatory fortification.
Findings so far will not result in action against erring manufacturers because the testing was done for monitoring purposes rather than policing.
- NZPA
