Call for single food labelling system to stop confusion

A single food labelling system based on those already in use should be adopted to help consumers eat healthily, according to proposals announced yesterday.

By The Newsroom

Published 5th Mar 2010, 15:31 BST

Updated 5th Mar 2010, 17:35 BST

Consumers are confused by the range of labels that appear on the front of food packaging listing levels of fat, saturated fat, salt and sugar, the Food Standards Agency (FSA) said.

The FSA has recommended manufacturers and retailers adopt a standard label using a combination of traffic light coding, text using the words high, medium and low, and figures showing percentage guideline daily amounts (GDAs).

It already said that it favoured a traffic light system, where red means high levels of fat or sugar, which is used by the likes of Waitrose and Marks & Spencer.

The British Retail Consortium said it was too soon for the UK to adopt a new system until a final decision was made at European level.

Food Standards Agency Waitrose