Kellogg’s gears up for traffic light label
BREAKFAST cereal giant Kellogg’s is to put traffic light labelling on its packaging next year after shoppers said the colourcoded scheme would help them make healthier choices.
The voluntary labels will begin appearing on packs made exclusively for sale in Britain, including Coco Pops, Crunchy Nut, Corn Flakes, Rice Krispies, Frosties and Special K from January, with all products updated by early 2020.
Traffic light labels show whether levels of sugar, salt and fat are high, medium or low using red, amber and green colours, and is based on the amount per 100g.
The decision follows a survey of 2,000 Britons asking them about their attitudes towards labelling.
Kellogg’s managing director Oli Morton said: “They said we should move to a full colour solution as they want help making healthy decisions. We’ve listened and now we’re acting.”
Traffic light labelling was officially adopted by the UK Government in 2013, and food companies and retailers have been asked to voluntarily use the system ever since.
Earlier this year, consumer group Which? called for mandatory traffic light labelling after Brexit, warning that inconsistent information on adult breakfast cereals could be misleading shoppers about their ingredients.
Many supermarket own-brands use the colourcoded scheme, but Which? said manufacturers such as Kellogg’s were lagging behind, leaving consumers facing a confusing array of nutritional data and portion sizes.
Its researchers analysed 31 cereals, porridges and granolas and found that one portion could contain three quarters of an adult’s recommended daily maximum of sugar – with the level not reflected on the packaging.