The Government has launched a consultation on food labels, providing the perfect springboard for ministers and the food industry to give the green light to labels that help shoppers make healthier choices.

As things stand, there is a confusing multitude of food labels on products across UK shelves. In the past, some food companies and supermarkets have chosen to ignore independent research which shows clear and consistent labels best give shoppers the information they need to make healthier choices.

The British Heart Foundation (BHF) is urging ministers and the food industry to back traffic light-coloured labels combined with Guideline Daily Amounts (GDAs) and the words 'high', 'medium' and 'low'.

Julia Waltham, Advocacy Manager at the British Heart Foundation, said: "This isn't about telling people what should or shouldn't be in their baskets. This is about making healthy choices easy for busy shoppers.
Front-of-pack labels using traffic light colours, GDAs and the words 'high', 'medium' and 'low', will help everyone make more informed choices at a glance, before they head to the till.
The Government should strongly recommend that food companies and supermarkets use a consistent food labelling scheme that includes traffic light colours. They all have a responsibility to provide a system that helps shoppers compare products and then easily pick the healthiest option if they want to."

Anyone wanting to respond to the consultation can visit bhf.org.uk/foodlabelling.