CAST Paper Reviews the Pros and Cons of Food Process Labels

The Council for Agricultural Science and Technology (CAST) released a paper titled Process labels can effectively bridge the informational gap between producers and consumers, which presents a systematic review of present food process labels and their impact on food and agricultural sector.

According to the paper, banning of labels is not a good idea. Process labels help consumers to be better-informed and set realistic expectations about the quality of the products in the market. The authors of the paper suggest the following policy recommendations regarding process labeling:

• Governments should not impose bans on process labels.
• Mandatory labeling should occur only when science-based facts prove that the product is harmful.
• Voluntary process labels should be encouraged if they are true and scientifically verifiable.
• Next-generation process labels should avoid the "all or nothing syndrome" while incorporating new technology and imaginative ways to clearly inform consumers.