I can see why the Heart Foundation would choose the comparative approach, but my personal opinion is that it’s not very helpful. I suspect that if we were to survey shoppers in a supermarket, most would misinterpret the meaning of that labelling. (Mind you, this probably also holds for “light”, “diet” and “low fat” products.)

Ultimately, the more important question may be, does this kind of labelling influence the dietary choices of consumers? If they’re just going to eat pizza in the same quantities regardless, perhaps it is helpful!

sell outs!

No question about it, and it is misleading for those who are not nutritionally savy

I think this is a good idea at heart (pardon the pun), but it will need some follow-up research to see if works as intended in practice.

There’s no reason why burgers and pizzas can’t be made to a healthy enough recipe that people can eat them now and then (not every day!) as part of balanced diet. And we know that people are going to eat these foods anyway for a long time to come, so I think it’s better to point people towards the wiser choices and also to get them thinking. I suspect that people who decide on their pizza choice based on the tick scheme will also most likely to get round to thinking about some of their other food choices.

i heard about this on a morning show and i thought i heard them say it was awarded to DOMINOS! so i was pretty scathing. Crust, however, is a completely different story. i like Crust because they offer gluten-free bases. there’s one near my house but we rarely get pizza (not at the moment anyway… pizza seems more like a winter food for me!).

i agree with Sophie – there’s no reason why foods traditionally seen as junky and fat-laden can’t be improved to be a more healthy option.

i also commend Maccas on having a heart-tick menu. it’s quite controversial but i have been into McDonalds and seen the menu and i just like that it’s providing people with information and better eating options.

at the end of the day i think that it’s quite easy to find out information on what is good to eat and what isn’t. anybody who thinks of pizza or McDonalds as an everyday food is silly. eating it once every now and then is fine, in my layperson’s opinion.

oh and i just want to make it clear – i have other issues with fast food but i’m just going to stay on topic for the moment :)

well we had one last night. it tasted ‘healthy’. i think i would prefer to make our own pizzas with healthy ingedients for the price $15 for a 10’. I think it is better that people have options than not, so credit to them for trying.

Sue – you’re quick off the mark having tried one already!

This is what Catherine Saxelby has said about the Tick on Crust pizzas. This is from her Foodwatch newsletter:

“The Heart Foundation has bestowed its red Tick of Approval on 6 new pizzas from Crust Gourmet Pizza bars which has 16 stories in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane. I believe this is a great move forward and well needed in this market of thick greasy pizza bases, salami-lover’s overkill and double-cheese crusts – have you ever checked the01-00 carton after you’ve eaten and seen how much fat is left behind from your pizza?

“Pizzas from the big chains are a nutrition disaster, dripping with saturated fat and loaded with salt (designed to make you thirsty!). And often incredibly cheap too. And that’s not counting the ‘free’ garlic bread or jumbo-sized bottle of drink. Not good for our health.

“Like me, many of you no doubt already order healthier pizzas – thin crust, less cheese on top, more vegetables, more marinara. Or you make them up at home.

“So congratulations to a small operator like Crust for leading the trend (my friends tell me their pizzas are really good anyway). Let’s hope the big boys follow the lead.”

There is a crust just around the corner from our house. I heard it on the radio this week and saw your article. The proof is always in the pudding!