A leading consumer advocate, Which?, has called on the UK Government to mandate front-of-pack nutrition labels on all food products, citing the urgent need to address what it describes as an obesity crisis. The group emphasizes that a more effective and consistent labelling approach is essential to help consumers make healthier choices.
Currently, the voluntary traffic light labelling system—using green, amber, and red colors to indicate low, medium, or high levels of fat, saturated fat, sugar, salt, and calories—has been in place since 2013. Yet, Which? found its usage to be inconsistent across stores, with some retailers omitting color coding or not displaying the labels at all.
Through mobile phone-based research involving over 500 shoppers, Which? discovered that nutrition labels are the first aspect checked by a third of consumers when choosing food. The traffic light system is most frequently used when selecting snacks (56%), dairy products (33%), and breakfast cereals (27%). Nearly half of respondents (47%) find the system easy to comprehend.
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Participants in focus groups favored traffic light labelling but recommended improvements, including larger, more prominently placed labels and clearer guidance. One concern raised was the unrealistic or inconsistent recommended serving sizes on some products, which can confuse shoppers.
Which? urges the Government to build upon the existing traffic light framework with mandatory labelling requirements. The new system should enhance consistency, conspicuity, and simplicity to improve consumer trust and efficacy. Sue Davies, head of food policy at Which?, explained, “The UK is facing an obesity crisis, and front-of-pack labelling must be clearer, simpler, and compulsory to genuinely assist shoppers in making healthier decisions.”
Supporting this position, recent statistics reveal that 64% of adults in England were overweight or obese in 2022, with childhood obesity at a record high outside the pandemic period. The financial burden on the NHS to manage obesity-related health issues is estimated at over £11 billion annually.
A spokesperson from the Department of Health and Social Care pointed to ongoing government initiatives, including a modernized nutrient scoring system, advertising restrictions on junk food, limitations on promotional pricing of unhealthy items, and mandatory healthy food sales reporting. These measures form part of a broader 10 Year Health Plan designed to prioritize prevention over treatment.
Meanwhile, the British Retail Consortium highlights retailers' ongoing commitment to nutrition labelling and healthy living advice. Andrea Martinez-Inchausti, assistant director of food, stated, “Retailers are dedicated to supporting customers’ health and continuously exploring the most effective labelling methods.”