Consultation: Building on the Success of Front of Pack Nutrition Labelling in the UK - Which? response

Summary

Which? welcomes this opportunity to respond to the UK-wide consultation on how to build on the success of front of pack nutrition labelling. Front of pack nutrition labelling is a crucial tool in helping consumers to make more informed food choices. 

Our consumer research supports the continued use of the multiple traffic light (MTL)nutrition label on front of pack. 

Other schemes have been launched internationally, but these have been developed according to their specific national context. Our most recent survey found that most people still preferred the MTL label, compared to the Nutri-Score or Chilean warning label (or a ‘hybrid’ of the MTL and Nutri-Score).

There is scope to improve the MTL label to ensure that it is as clear, easy to use and impactful as possible. There should be more consistent presentation by manufacturers and retailers, including more consistent use of portion sizes. Our consumer research also indicates that people would welcome the inclusion of information on free sugars on the pack.

To be effective and enable truly informed choices, the same front of pack nutrition labelling scheme needs to be used across all brands. The government should use the flexibility to legislate after the end of the transition period to make the MTL scheme mandatory.