Healthy shopping could get easier
The Food Standards Agency is proposing changes to food packaging to help consumers make informed choices about what they eat.

If the idea goes ahead, products could carry colour-coded, traffic-light guidelines on the front of packaging, indicating salt, sugar, fat and saturates content.

BRC director-general Kevin Hawkins said the move was encouraging, but warned it must be a two-pronged attack. 'We want to help consumers make informed choices on enjoying a healthy and balanced diet. Government needs to also ensure all consumers are educated about healthy lifestyles, including clear advice about the contribution that all foods make to a healthy diet as well as the importance of physical activity.'

The proposal follows research in June involving more than 2,600 people, to determine which of four possible front-of-pack schemes would work best. The aim is to help consumers identify healthier food options when shopping.

FSA chair Deirdre Hutton said: 'What we choose to eat is a personal matter, but we want to help people make informed choices for themselves about the content of their food.'

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