Consumer champion Which? is calling on the UK Government to make front-of-pack nutrition labels mandatory, citing an "obesity crisis" and inconsistent use of the current voluntary traffic light system. The move aims to help shoppers make healthier choices as new research reveals gaps in how retailers apply the labelling scheme introduced in 2013.
Research by Which? found that while 33 per cent of shoppers check nutrition labels first, the traffic light system is only widely used for certain products. Just 56 per cent use it for snacks, 33 per cent for dairy products, and 27 per cent for breakfast cereals. Some shops omit the system entirely or lack colour coding, creating confusion for consumers.
The call comes amid alarming obesity statistics. Around 64 per cent of adults in England were estimated to be overweight or obese in 2022. One in 10 children starting primary school was obese in November, the highest figure on record outside the pandemic. The condition costs the NHS more than £11 billion annually.
Sue Davies, head of food policy at Which?, said: «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. 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. The new system should be backed up with effective enforcement and oversight by the Food Standards Agency and Food Standards Scotland, so shoppers have full trust in the labels on their food.»
Government response
The Department of Health and Social Care said it is implementing a modernised food nutrient scoring system as part of its 10 Year Health Plan. A spokesperson stated: «This Government is bringing in a modernised food nutrient scoring system to reduce obesity. It's just one element of the strong action we are taking to tackle the obesity crisis as part of our 10 Year Health Plan, which will shift the focus from sickness to prevention. We are also restricting advertising of junk food on TV and online, limiting volume price promotions on less healthy foods and introducing mandatory reporting on sales of healthy food.»
Andrea Martinez-Inchausti, assistant director of food at the British Retail Consortium, said retailers have led the way in nutrition labelling. She stated: «Retailers have led the way in nutrition labelling, consistently providing advice on healthy living. Whether that be through the traffic light system, or other measures, the industry is fully committed to helping improve the health of their customers and are constantly looking for what will work best for them.»
Note: This article was created with Artificial Intelligence (AI).
