Are traffic-light labels worth observing?
Yes and no (how very contrary). For the uninitiated, we’re talking about the red, orange and green icons on the front of packaged food. They’re designed to show how much fat, sugar, calories and salt the food contains – red for high, orange for medium and – you guessed it – green for low. ‘The system is simplistic because it’s designed for glancing at quickly,’ says registered dietitian Priya Tew, adding that a red light doesn’t always mean you need to return it to the shelf. Case in point: all high-fat foods are ‘red flagged’, so nutritious mackerel fillets will fare worse than white bread. ‘Take the red and orange icons as a cue to read the detailed nutritional breakdown,’ suggests Tew. Look for high levels of the stuff you’re actually after, such as protein, fibre and healthy monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats, which aren’t labelled, as well as limiting the stuff you don’t want. And, while you’re at it, check for any unpronounceable ingredients. If you’re met with a long old list of them, sack it off.