'Traffic light' food labelling

[AB Asks]

There has been an overwhelming amount of support in favour of the traffic light food labelling system. The simple system makes it easier for children to understand, and a child understanding what healthy food is important nowadays. The system which has fat, saturates, sugar and salt labelled as either green for low, orange for medium and red for high, has been criticised for being too simple. Do you think the 'traffic light' labelling system is too simple? Or do you think the simplicity of the system is its strength?

[netibiza]

Yes much prefer the traffic light system to the other same colour one, which I cannot understand at all!!

[VINNY100_2]

Its a simple but brilliant system.So why have Tesco's refused to use it?
The National Heart Forum said it has concerns about Tesco's decision.

Jane Landon, associate director of the charity, said the numbers-based system chosen by Tesco had already been shown by the Food Standards Agency to be least popular with consumers.

[Coldicote]

I can understand the support for simplicity that children would understand. The problem seems to be that foods are made up of many different ingredients. It's unlikely that an indicator accurate for one content, fat for instance, could also be accurate for the rest, sugar, salt, etc. 'Traffic lights' might give a general overall indication but can hardly be expected to be specific for everything that food contains.

[funnygirl]

I prefer the traffic light system. It is easier to understand.With the other one, it gives percentages of the daily requirements, and I must say it all goes over my head.

[Oneeyedvic]

Traffic light system is brilliant - trouble is none of the big companies want to use it as it is (obvious) that when a product has red labels it will sell less.

This will affect the profits of all the big manufacturers and stores!

[heathfield]

DEFRA, in their wisdom, decided to use 100 grams as a typical person's intake to determine whether foods were to be classified as healthy or unhealthy.
Thus we have the utterly ridiculous situation where Marmite and honey are classed as 'unhealthy foods!!!
Whover heard of anyone eating 100 grams of Marmite at a sitting???
Ignore 'traffic lights'. More and better information is to be found on the system Tesco have adopted.
Honey? Not healthy? I ask you!!!

[coco pops]

I prefer the Tesco system

[alijangra]

It is over simplified and does not reflect the real nutritional value of foods, as highlighted by heathfield's example of honey being given a red light.

[Figi]

ANy system of food labelling is pointless - people who want to eat junk food will continue to do so whatever system is adopted because they just don't care. People who do care about their diet usually have a pretty good idea what's in a particular food anyway.

[netibiza]

Disagree there Figi as a hypertensive, I have to look really hard at tins of Baked Beans and the like, as there is hidden sugar and salt in everything. Also with failing eyesight, the traffic light system is much easier to see. I do mostly cook with fresh ingredients, but sometimes only a tin will do.

[Figi]

Follow an overweight person round Tescos or wherever and just see what they put in their trolley - fizzy drinks by the gallon, ready meals, white bread, biscuits etc etc and often not a fruit or vegetable in sight. Does anyone really think that traffic lights on packets is going to change anything? And are they going to put a green light sticker on every apple, orange, carrot etc etc As I said before - pointless.

[Oneeyedvic]

I disagree with the pointless remark - a classic example is cigarettes - you could argue that most people know that they are bad for you - however figures for the number of smokers is falling - this is down to education and warnings.

Something needs to be done about food as well.

As regards the over simplification - well there is no system that will ever be perfect - but I think that most foods will be okay. Its a bit like the Body Mass Index - people complain as ultra fit people will be classed as obese. Most people aren't ultra fit though, and again it is a good indicator.

[cruella]

I think it is a great system.
My Husband has certainly adopted a healthier eating pattern due to this method.
Probably partly due to the fact that he does not have to study packaging in supermarkets for any length of time. You can tell quickly at a glance roughly what the food contains without fidling about for glasses.

[maggie2708]

tesco system is much better.
anyone really interested in thier diet can add up the percentages.
since when do chidren do the main family food shop we not stupid red orange green for chidrens sweets fine but not all food x

[shaneystar2]

Not very well thought out as highlighted by heathfield with the honey. Obviously because honey has a high sugar content it has been given a red light ...yet is one of the foods which is very nutritious ..in small amounts .You wouldn't glug a whole jar of honey in one go ..but a little honey on your porridge or on wholemeal bread is good for you.
This is just another example of the nanny state trying to tell us what to do .
We are treated as we are daft these days and can't judge for ourselves what is good for us and what is not .
If the government didn't let all these fast food ,junk plying monopolies get the upper hand there would be no need for food labelling .And if they brought back domestic science in schools youngsters would at least have a basic knowledge of what good food and cooking is all about .
How the hell do they think people managed to feed large families years ago ...when there was none of this prepackaged cr@p around .
As usual ....too little too late .

[Figi]

Totally agree Shaney. If everyone just started cooking proper food again from scratch the problem would disappear overnight.

[alijangra]

Well said, shaneystar2, spot on!

[tiger104]

If you think about it....MOST items on the shelf will have red light, cause there all full of crap !

I was disgusted at a weight watchers meal that i looked at the other week, it had about 300 ingredients, additives, never heard of any of them, all for one meal thats meant to be healthy ! I thought ....i'll make my own thanks !!