Industry ignores traffic lights in race to develop new labels

A group of food manufacturers, led by food industry think-tank IGD, is to push ahead with developing guideline daily amounts (GDAs) for saturated fat, salt, sugar and calories, despite opposition from the Food Standards Agency (FSA).

The agency has already rejected GDA labelling in favour of a simple traffic light system, but the IGD believes GDAs are more effective in fighting obesity and improving the nation's diet.

Sainsbury starts store trials of its own GDA label this month. Its 'health wheel' shows the salt, fat, saturated fat, sugar and calorie content on the front of the pack with a more detailed explanation on the back.

Gaynor Bussell, nutrition manager at the Food and Drink Federation, a member of the IGD group, said traffic lights did not give people enough information about what constituted a good diet.

"Traffic lights say this food is bad for you and you should not eat it. We want to let people take control of their diet by saying this is a safe daily amount of fat, salt and calories. If you eat a product that is high in one of these nutrient groups you know to limit your intake of it for the rest of the day."

The IGD wants to establish men's, women's and children's GDAs for the different nutrient groups. But Bussell admitted that establishing a GDA for sugar would be difficult because some foods contain intrinsic sugars, such as lactose and fruit sugars, as well as added (extrinsic) sugars. The FSA has already been criticised for basing its nutrition profiling on non-milk extrinsic sugars.

Results from the FSA's in-store trials of traffic light labels should be ready by summer. It is likely to put pressure on manufacturers to adopt one label by 2006.

Food Manufacture is holding a NPD conference called Winning Ways to Healthier Foods in London on February 22. For details, call 01293 610255.