August 22, 2012
Tesco traffic light label move should prompt Government
action
The UK’s largest supermarket, Tesco, has today
announced it will implement a new food labelling scheme that
includes traffic light colours.
The move means the majority of front-of-pack
food labels in the UK will now display traffic light colours to help shoppers make
healthier choices. Tesco joins Sainsbury’s, Waitrose and
Co-operative Food in using traffic light colours on its
labels. The supermarket will combine traffic lights with Guideline
Daily Amounts (GDAs).
We've welcomed the news because there is
currently a confusing multitude of food labels
across UK shelves. With high levels of diet-related chronic
disease, including heart disease, clear
and consistent food labelling is vital.
Since MEPs rejected mandatory traffic
light labels across the EU two years ago, we've
worked hard with our supporters to ensure the labels are
used by all food retailers across the UK.
This action by the UK’s largest supermarket will help millions of busy shoppers to make healthier choices
We're calling for
the Government to recommend all food companies consistently apply
a single integrated scheme, including traffic
light colours, to ensure that people can see at-a-glance what is in
the food they are buying.
Our survey of heart patients showed
93 per cent of respondents used front-of-pack labelling to
make decisions about the food that they buy some
or all of the time.
Our Chief Executive Peter Hollins said: “We
congratulate Tesco on this decision. This action by the UK’s
largest supermarket will help millions of busy
shoppers to make healthier eating choices and could have a
real impact on people’s diets.
“We hope others will build on Tesco's initiative
and commit to working with Government to introduce consistent and
easy to understand food labelling – including traffic light colours
– across the country.”
A healthy diet can help reduce your risk
of developing coronary heart disease
and stop you gaining weight - reducing your risk of diabetes and high
blood pressure. It can also help lower
your cholesterol levels.
Tips and advice for a
healthy diet
Take our food label
quiz