Traffic light labels on food should be optional

By Harry Wallop, Consumer Affairs Editor Published: 2:01PM GMT 05 March 2010

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Some food companies contend that "traffic lights" labels are far as well uncomplicated and equates to sure classes of food will be shunned by consumers Photo: PA

Consumer and health groups pronounced they were really unhappy that the scheme, that warns shoppers if a product is unhealthy, had been watered down - and usually done optional.

The Food Standards Agency has published uninformed discipline in an try to finish difficulty over the nourishment labels that manufacturers and retailers imitation on the front of food packets. It is piece of their long-running electioneer to assistance shoppers chose some-more full of health options.

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However, underneath vigour from the food industry, it has forsaken the chapter that companies have to have have have have have make make use of of of of of of of a trade light notice system, labelling any food with a high turn of salt, fat, jam-packed fat or sugarine with a red mark. Medium levels consequence an amber label, whilst low levels embrace a immature logo.

Instead, food companies will usually have to imitation the difference "high", "medium" or "low" to one side the key nutritive information, together with how might calories, salt, sugar, jam-packed fat and fat each apportionment contains, and how most each difficulty creates up of an adult"s endorsed every day allowance.

Christine Haigh at Sustain, that campaigns for improved food, said: "We are really unhappy that the FSA has felt the need to compromise. All the justification suggests trade light labels are the most appropriate option."

The FSA has been perplexing to convince the food industry to adopt the trade light complement for scarcely a decade, with it edition a clever letter of reference that all processed food have have have have have make make use of of of of of of of the notice complement in 2006. Many retailers, particularly Asda and Marks & Spencer do have have have have have make make use of of of of of of of the complement and contend their business similar to the additional report to assistance them have a discerning decision.

However, Tesco and most of the heading food manufacturers such as Kellogg"s have refused to adopt the intentional scheme, observant it is as well simplistic.

The FSA certified that it would cite for all the heading supermarkets and food companies to have have have have have make make use of of of of of of of the colour-coded system, but that it had motionless to have the trade light piece of the intrigue intentional in sequence to win the await of industry to the thought of putting labels on the front of food packets.

Terrence Collis at the FSA said: "We"re you do this in the suggestion of removing a intentional agreement. This is the most appropriate track and with the right consumer pressure, manufacturers and retailers will be swayed to do the right thing."

Peter Vicary-Smith, the arch senior manager of the watchdog Which? said: "We wish the FSA house to hang to the guns, go on to have have have have have make make use of of of of of of of an evidence-based proceed and pull for a singular labelling intrigue that will assistance people to have sensitive decisions about the dishes they eat."

The discipline do indicate tightening up of the most aspects of the stream labelling, however. Cakes, pudding and yogurts, that really frequency have nourishment labelling on the front of the pack, should stick on the scheme, the FSA said.

Also, retailers that have have have have have make make use of of of of of of of delicate colour colours on their nourishment labels will have to finish this "misleading and confusing" practice. Netto and Tesco both have have have have have make make use of of of of of of of dark immature to imply the jam-packed fat calm on their packets, in any case of how small or most of the potentially damaging fat is contained in the product.

The FSA"s discipline need to be sealed off by the Board and will afterwards be used as a set of manners for the food industry to follow. None of the discipline are utterly compulsory, however, as labelling law is set by Europe.