For years it has been mandatory to display nutritional information on food packaging. These charts help consumers make better choices by outlining the amount and percentage of daily requirements of calories, fat, saturates, sugars and salts found in a given product. Some companies in the United Kingdom are now adding a quick-read “traffic light” label to the front of their packages. The familiar red, amber and green colours indicate high, medium and low levels of a particular nutrient. Researchers at Queen Mary University in London, UK, found, “Color-coded labels can promote the purchase of more healthful products while warning labels discourage the purchase of less healthful products.”
Traffic lights are a universal symbol, understood by all. Its simple yet informative colour indicators are also useful at drawing attention to other issues. Research has shown that detailed nutrition labels can be confusing and that this new, more concise label is easier for the public to understand.