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Guardian Unlimited Money | Cash clinic | Tesco ditches traffic light food signs @import url(/external/styles/global/0,14250,,00.css); Skip to main content /* for turning the MPU off */ div.hide_class { visibility: hidden; height: 0px; width: 0px; display: none; } /* for turning the MPU on */ div.MPU_display_class { visibility: visible; margin-top: 15px; margin-bottom: 15px; } /* for enclosing the MPU ad */ hr.mpu { background:#FFF; border: 1px dotted gray; border-top:0; color: #FFFFFF; } #MPU_IE_hack { text-align: center; } #spacedesc_MPU_iframe { margin-left: auto; text-align: left; margin: 1em auto; width: 300px; } div.mpu_continue { text-align: right; } a.mpu_continue:link {text-decoration: none; color: gray;} a.mpu_continue:visited {text-decoration: none; color: gray;} a.mpu_continue:hover {text-decoration: none; color: gray;} a.mpu_continue:active {text-decoration: none; color: gray;} img.mpu_continue { padding: 1px; } Read today's paper Sign in Register Go to: Guardian Unlimited homeUK newsWorld newsNewsblog----------------------Archive searchArtsBooksBusinessEducationGuardian.co.ukFilmFootballThe GuideJobsLifeMediaGuardian.co.ukMoneyThe ObserverOnlinePoliticsShoppingSocietyGuardian.co.ukSportTalkTravel----------------------AudioEmail servicesSpecial reportsThe GuardianThe northernerThe wrap----------------------Advertising guideCrosswordSoulmates datingHeadline serviceSyndication servicesEvents / offersHelp / contactsFeedbackInformationGNL press officeLiving our valuesNewsroomNotes & QueriesReader OffersStyle guideTravel offersTV listingsWeatherWeb guidesWorking at GNL----------------------Guardian WeeklyMoney ObserverPublic Home Property Saving & banks Pensions Insurance Isas & investments Tax Compare & buy News Factsheets Special reports Cash clinic Ethical money Credit & debt Work The experts Search this site Money > Cash clinic > Consumer issues Tesco ditches traffic light food signs Susan SmillieTuesday April 26, 2005 Tesco, Britain's largest supermarket, has today been criticised for its refusal to label food with "traffic light" signs.The retailer appeared to dismiss research from the Food Standards Agency (FSA), showing that the traffic light scheme is the consumers' favourite, and launched its own "signpost" system instead.Traffic light systems use colour coding to simply demonstrate how healthy food products are. Under the suggested system, green indicates "eat plenty", amber "eat in moderation", and red warns "eat sparingly".The National Heart Forum expressed its disappointment that Tesco had failed to back the system."Tesco's decision appears to make little sense, other than to fall in line with a general resistance from food manufacturers and retailers to a traffic light labelling system," said Jane Landon, associate director of the National Heart Forum.The charity expressed frustration that the supermarket giant opted for a numbers-based system, one of the schemes research showed to be least popular with consumers.But Tesco said that its trials showed the traffic light scheme was simplistic and confusing, and claimed that some customers were unable to decide what the amber labels meant.It also criticised the system for placing foods such as dairy products, which provide important nutrients into a "red foods" category.Tesco's system will display the amount of grams of salt, fat, saturated fat, sugar and calories contained in hundreds of its own label foods. It says this will help shoppers assess the nutritional value of products."Signposts provide clear and easy-to-understand information in a way which gives customers the power to choose products that will help them follow a balanced diet," said Tesco's marketing director, Tim Mason."It will now be easier than ever for customers to make healthy choices at a glance as they shop, and without the need for a mathematics degree."The FSA said it was clear that consumers wanted simple labelling and indicated that it was working towards introducing one scheme."We believe that the development of a single signposting scheme which could be adopted by all retailers and manufacturers, would make it simpler for consumers to make informed choices wherever they shop, and that is what we are working towards," said an FSA spokesman.The first of Tesco's new signpost labels are in store this week and more will be rolled out over the coming months. Printable version | Send it to a friend | Save story Privacy policy | Terms & conditions | Advertising guide | A-Z index | About this siteGuardian Unlimited © Guardian Newspapers Limited 2005 |