Which? has called for front-of-pack nutrition labelling to be made mandatory for packaged foods after consumer research identified demand for clearer, more consistent labelling.
The consumer organisation carried out research into how the commonly used traffic light labelling scheme is working for UK consumers. A third (33%) of participants said unprompted that the nutrition label was the first thing they looked at on the front of pack when choosing a product in the supermarket; only the brand (40%) and price (37%) scored higher.
Nearly half (47%) of participants said they found the traffic light label easy to understand and one in four (27%) said it helped them make quick decisions while shopping.
Foods containing traffic light labels display a red, amber or green colour for key nutrients like salt, sugar and fat, often in conjunction with the percentage reference intake that each serving of the product accounts for.
As part of its research, Which? facilitated in-depth focus groups to evaluate how well other front of pack nutrition labelling systems, such as the Nutri-score system used in Europe and warning labels used in Chile, helped shoppers identify healthier foods. The traffic light labelling system was almost everyone’s preferred label.
Although traffic light labelling is the UK Government’s preferred scheme, it remains voluntary and is used inconsistently, according to Which?, with some shops and manufacturers not including the traffic light scheme on their packaging, or providing it without the traffic light colour coding.
Participants felt the labels should be a requirement on all food products and suggested simplifications that would support more confident, healthier choices. The most common of these were for more prominent placement on the packaging, increased size and readability.
People also highlighted the need to make the scheme simpler to understand, for example, by removing the percentage reference intakes and making the recommended serving sizes more realistic and consistent.
“The UK is in the midst of an obesity crisis and it’s clear that a better approach to front of pack labelling is needed to help shoppers make healthier choices,” said Sue Davies, Which? head of food policy.
“Which? is calling on the government to ensure that all manufacturers and retailers use front of pack nutrition labelling – ideally by making this mandatory. Our research shows that people still prefer traffic light nutrition labelling, but that the current scheme needs updating so that it is clearer and simpler and works better for consumers.”
