FSA tests ways to clearly label food

by Max Gosney

Pub menus may have to feature traffic-light-style labelling by 2006, as the Government steps up its search for a food signposting scheme to help fight obesity.

The Food Standards Agency (FSA) will trial four different food-labelling schemes in a survey involving 2,600 consumers. The favoured system will be released in supermarkets and eateries next year.

Interviewees will compare schemes such as multiple traffic light, which indicates a food's health value by a red, amber or green colour and gross daily amount (GDA), which details a dishes nutritional content compared to recommended daily amounts.

Gill Fine, FSA director of consumer choice and dietary health, said: "We want to know what works best for consumers and that's what this research is all about. The results will be used to develop a single, easy-to-understand scheme that could be the same wherever you shop."

Although the favoured signposting scheme will initially affect supermarket products the FSA indicated that it could be extended to pub menus. An FSA spokesperson said: "The initial focus will be on introducing a signposting system to front-of-pack labelling. Beyond that nothing has been decided, though there will be further discussions as to when and where the favoured scheme is rolled out."

FSA research will take place across the UK, with results announced this summer. Interviewees will rank the effectiveness of each signposting system when applied to a series of photographed foods such as pizzas and ready meals. The FSA plans to consult with the food industry over the favoured system to be rolled out in 2006.

Signposting showdown:

Consumers will decide their favourite signposting system from:

1 ­ GDA (gross daily amount)-based concept with colour coding: Details fat, salt and sugar content in food and colour codes whether that value is low, medium or high.

2 ­ GDA-based concept: Details nutritional content of foods compared to recommended amounts.

3 ­ Multiple traffic lights: Red, amber or green ratings for sugar, salt or fat levels.

4 ­ Simple traffic lights: Food given an overall colour-coded health rating.