Green for go?

Consumers these days are very health conscious. At least that's what we're always being told and that certainly is the impression given by the sheer volume of 'healthy' new product launches in the market.

So it stands to reason that the same consumers want to see clearer nutritional information about the products they are buying on the front of the pack. Or does it?

With all the hype surrounding the Food Standards Agency's (FSA) multiple traffic lights system, and the subsequent rejection of this by many manufacturers and retailers that devised their own schemes, what do consumers really think, and how has front of pack labelling changed their habits?

According to the results of the latest Food Manufacture​ poll, carried out by Harris Interactive, opinions are still mixed. Although 65% of consumers find the front of pack traffic light labelling a useful way of helping them see whether a product is healthy or not, a massive 45% said front of pack labelling has had no effect on their purchasing decisions.

In fact, only 9% of consumers said their buying habits had changed dramatically as a direct result of the new labelling schemes. This is in contrast to recent reports from Tesco, which said sales of healthier products had soared by 80% since the introduction of its own front of pack labelling scheme.

But with so many different schemes out there, including guideline daily amounts (GDAs), manufacturers and retailers could be in danger of complicating the issue. Indeed, 46% of consumers said they found the different schemes confusing and would prefer to see one style used by all, which is what the FSA had hoped for. However, only last month prime minister Tony Blair said the government was in no hurry to impose the FSA traffic light labelling system bitterly opposed by some food manufacturers.

This will probably be a relief to manufacturers and the 46% of people that find the different schemes confusing, but of little concern to the 39% of consumers who believe the different labelling formats all make sense in their own right.

As to whether the labels are having the desired effect and helping consumers make healthier choices, the jury is still out: 40% said yes, but 43% said their health had not changed as a result of clearer nutritional information on the front of packs. FM