The Government’s announcement of a new, consistent front-of-pack food labelling system has been welcomed by the UK’s major food retailers.
Green, amber and red colour-coding will help shoppers make informed decisions about products based on the amount of salt, sugar, saturated fats and calories they contain, according to the Department of Health.
The scheme will operate on a voluntary basis but a number of the country’s largest food retailers, including the ‘big four’ supermarket chains, have already signed up.
Guidance for businesses on how to create front-of-pack information that complies with the scheme was published alongside the announcement.
The British Retail Consortium’s director of food and sustainability, Andrew Opie, said: “This is great news for consumers. A consistent scheme across all the major supermarkets means wherever we shop we will see the same front of pack labelling. That will help improve understanding of the label and make healthier choices easier.”
