Making front of pack nutrition labelling work for consumers

Front of pack (FOP) nutrition labelling is an important tool to support consumers make informed choices. There is evidence that FOP labelling, if used effectively, can help to support healthier choices and, as part of a range of measures, help support a reduction in obesity prevalence in the UK. 

Our latest research has therefore looked at how the current FOP labelling scheme is working for consumers, and whether it could be improved or changed to an alternative scheme. Our findings reinforce that front of pack nutrition labelling is an important aspect of the strategy needed to support healthier choices and ultimately lead to a reduction in obesity rates and diet-related disease more generally. While labelling alone does not provide a magic solution, it plays an important role enabling informed choices and the current Multiple Traffic Light (MTL) scheme is well-liked and recognised by consumers with different levels of engagement with healthier eating and across all income levels. 

We found that the MTL scheme is still preferred over the other main FOP options that have emerged, but that people thought that it needed to be improved by simplifying it and increasing its prominence. The scheme also needs to be used, and used consistently, by all manufacturers and retailers and should be mandatory.