Which? reignites ‘traffic light’ food labelling debate

Food manufacturers and retailers should work together to introduce better at-a-glance front-of-pack nutritional labelling on items such as sandwiches, said Sue Davies, policy adviser for Which?

The last guidance on voluntary front-of-pack labelling issued by the Food Standards Agency – which previously oversaw nutritional labelling – recommended a combined system of traffic lights, percentage guideline daily amounts (GDAs) labelling and high/medium/low level text, said Davies.

But the provision of nutritional information on front-of-pack labels had been inconsistent throughout the food sector. Traffic light labelling should be considered the minimum requirement, she added.

Best minimum​

Davies told FoodManufacture.co.uk: “Which? doesn’t think traffic light labelling is the only way nutrition information should be given to consumers. There is also a need for more detailed nutritional information on the back of packaging.​

“However, traffic lights are the best minimum standard to ensure consistency for consumers.”​

The call for traffic light labelling was based on research published yesterday (May 17) by Which? It showed the different levels of salt and fat contained in sandwiches sold in retail and foodservice outlets.

For example, a chicken salad sandwich from Morrisons contained 11.7g fat while one from Waitrose contained 6.0g fat.

Meanwhile, a bacon lettuce and tomato (BLT) sandwich from Lidl contained 3.36g salt but a Boots BLT only had 1.5g of salt, according to the report.

But Jim Winship, director of the British Sandwich Association, said the differences in nutritional levels were not surprising because of differences in recipe and price point affecting the quality of ingredients used.

“Factors such as the thickness of the bread used in a particular sandwich, the proportion of each ingredient and, particularly, the amount of lettuce used​ significantly affected levels of fat and salt,"​ he told FoodManufacture.co.uk.

Dietary requirements​

Not all consumers have the same dietary requirements, he added. “We have always supported the idea of giving consumers the information they need to make a reasoned choice.”​

However, traffic light labelling may not be the best method for informing consumers, he said. “​The EC, for example, prefers GDA information to be given rather than traffic lights, as these can be misleading.”​

The Food and Drink Federation (FDF) director of food safety and science, Barbara Gallani said that getting consumers’ attention and their own motivation played a larger part in influencing food choices than information on a label. This view was supported by research conducted by the EU-funded research consortium, Food Labelling to Advance Better Education for Life, she said.

“Our members adopt the GDA style guide that encourages manufacturers to follow specific guidelines on position on pack, number of icons, wording and values on icons,” ​said Gallani.

Earlier this week – nominated British Sandwich Week – the UK government launched a consultation that may lead to a universal food label. To read about why devolved governments could torpedo the plan, click here​.