Colour-coded food labelling to be rolled out across the UK

A new front-of-pack food label that has the support of big brands, health groups and all the major supermarkets is to be rolled out across the United Kingdom.
The Department of Health has on 19 June 2013 set out what the new food labels will look like and outlined how a traffic light [red, amber, green] colour-coding scheme of energy, salt, sugar and fat will look and how their levels are set.
Shoppers can end up bewildered by the different nutrition labels on food and the new label aims to make it easier for people to make healthier choices.
The unveiling of new labels comes after a public consultation last year and months of talks with the food industry. Over the next 18 months the new labels will be rolled out across many of the major food brands.
Currently, food and drink labels often differ in the range of nutritional information provided. There is no law forcing retailers and manufacturers to display such information. Manufacturers are currently only required by law to provide nutritional information if the product makes a nutritional claim (PackagingNews, 19 June 2013).