Food labelling campaign launched - The GDA v Traffic Light Wars

Rival supermarkets are using different labelling methods

Some of the UK's biggest food manufacturers are launching a £4m campaign to promote nutritional labels.

The labels show percentages of guideline daily amounts (GDA) of sugar, salt, fat and calories in each serving.

Other firms use red, amber and green labels - where green is good and red warns not to consume too much - approved by the Food Standards Agency.

But the 21 firms and retailers using the GDA system say people will not buy products with red labels on them.

reposted from: BBC.co.uk
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See the figures behind GDAs and traffic light labels

The GDA campaign - supported by a coalition of the UK's biggest food and drink manufacturers as well as supermarkets Tesco, Somerfield and Morrison - begins on Monday with TV and print adverts.

Members of the GDA group say consumers will find the percentages of GDAs easier to understand than the FSA's "traffic light" system.

GDA labelling shows percentages of guideline daily amounts per serving

GDA campaign director Jane Holdsworth said the new labelling system was about "lifestyle" choices.

"We have made it simple to compare what's inside thousands of everyday foods so you can choose what best suits your diet," she said.

And Tesco said its GDA labelling had already changed the buying behaviour of its shoppers.

Tesco spokesman Jonathan Church told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: "Our sales data shows customers are using it to make changes towards healthier foods.

"We have seen it in ready meals, sandwiches and other product categories."

More than 5,000 products already carried GDA labelling and this would be extended to every Tesco-owned food item within the next few months, he said.

There are claims that the traffic light system is easier to use

Mr Church denied the supermarket was trying to safeguard sales at the expense of customers' health, saying fat and salt content in some products had been lowered as a result of GDA labelling.

But supporters of the FSA's traffic light system - used by firms including Sainsbury's, Waitrose , the Co-Op, Marks and Spencer and Asda - say the GDA system is flawed because many adults do not understand percentages.

The FSA says its research shows traffic light labels are easier to understand.

"Some consumers do like the extra information that GDAs provide," it said in a statement.

HAVE YOUR SAY Why not simply have the supermarkets sell only healthy food? Marc Woodhall, Burton on Trent Send us your comments

"However, without a traffic light colour code our research showed that shoppers can't always interpret the information quickly and often find percentages difficult to understand and use."

If traffic light colours were added to products with GDA labels this would "reduce the confusion in the marketplace", it added.

Diabetes UK also gave their backing to the traffic light system, saying it was the "quickest and easiest" way for consumers to know what their food contained.

"If manufacturers choose to produce their own labelling guidance, it will only serve to confuse shoppers," said chief executive Douglas Smallwood.

"Voluntary food labelling will only work if manufacturers look at it from the view of the consumer, rather than suiting themselves."

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GUIDELINE DAILY AMOUNTS
	Women	Men
Energy (Calories)	2,000	2,500
Protein	45g	55g
Carbohydrate	230g	300g
of which sugars	90g	120g
Fat	70g	95g
of which saturates	20g	30g
Fibre	24g	24g
Sodium	2.4g	2.4g
Equivalent as salt	6g	6g
Source: Institute of Grocery Distribution

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TRAFFIC LIGHT LABELLING
	Low Per 100g	Medium Per 100g	High Per 100g
Fat	0-3g	Between 3g and 20g	20g and over
Saturated fat	0-1.5g	Between 1.5g and 5g	5g and over
Total sugars	0-5g	Between 5g and 15g	15g and over
Salt	0-0.3g	Between 0.3g and 1.5g	1.5g and over
Source: Food Standards Agency

Public want food 'traffic lights' labelling of foods

By Adam Brimelow BBC News, Health correspondent

There are claims that the traffic light system is easier to use

The public overwhelmingly support 'traffic light' food-labelling rather than the system adopted by much of the food industry, a survey suggests.

The Netmums website surveyed more than 17,000 parents, and found 80% backed 'traffic lights'.

This offers a simple red, amber and green guide to nutrition.

But many in the food industry prefer giving percentage figures of guideline daily amounts (GDA) for things like calories, sugars and fat.

The findings come as the British Medical Association announced its backing for the traffic light idea.

The National Heart Forum also says that GDA markings are complex and misleading.

GDA labelling supporters say their system provides people with more detailed information.

To be able to look at the box straight away, know that it's all green and just grab it, is really good for young mums with very young children who want to run away Claire Perera

They argue that the traffic lights are too crude and simplistic. Both sides reckon their schemes encourage healthy eating.

Cathy Court, a director of Netmums, said the strength of the traffic lights scheme was its simplicity.

Child friendly

She said some of the parents who responded to the survey stressed that the easy-to-use nature of the scheme made it ideal to use with their children.

She said: "An important thing nowadays is to get your children to understand what healthy food is.

"People could actually use it to teach their children about healthy food, and work out healthy options together."

Claire Perera, a mother of two, is convinced that traffic light labelling is best.

She said: "My priority isn't whether I can get a good cereal or a bad cereal. It's making sure I don't lose Luis.

"So to be able to look at the box straight away, know that it's all green and just grab it, is really good for young mums with very young children who want to run away!"

Dr Vivienne Nathanson, BMA head of science and ethics, said: "It is absolutely essential that it is simple, that you don't need to sit down and start trying to work out what that percentage means.

"And the traffic lights system is something you can even see from a distance, so you can start to hone in on the foods that are predominantly green or green and amber, and just cut down on the foods that are marked red."

Not scared of red marks

The independent watchdog the Food Standards Agency also wants the wider industry to adopt traffic light labelling.

Rosemary Hignett, FSA head of nutrition, said the evidence so far was that consumers are not running scared of red markers - as feared by critics of the traffic light scheme.

"They are using the information to balance their shop. They are not interpreting the red as "don't buy".

"They are interpreting it as "high in fat, salt or sugar - therefore don't eat too much of this product.

"So they are using it in a very sensible way, in fact."

Tesco insist they are not seeking any competitive advantage by sticking with GDAs.

The company said it was convinced its approach was better for working out a balanced diet through the day.

It also said traffic light labelling might appear simpler at first, but the GDA approach was more likely to change customer behaviour, and encourage a switch to healthy products.

reposted from: BBC.co.uk
my highlights / emphasis / comments