Asda set to introduce front of pack nutritional labelling that combines the benefits of "Traffic Light" and GDA systems

Asda combines Traffic Light and GDA systems

ASDA announced today (Thursday 5th July) it will become the first of the big four supermarkets to introduce a new food nutrition labelling system which gives customers the best of what both the ‘traffic light’ and GDA (guideline daily amount) systems have to offer.  

The move follows extensive consumer research and a customer trial by the supermarket to determine the style and format of nutritional information its customers want to see.   

Over 95 per cent of respondents favoured the system that ASDA will now be adopting over other rival versions, and 64 per cent of Tesco customers favoured the new ASDA nutrition label over Tesco’s own GDA version.

Key reasons for preferring the ASDA design were that they liked the bright traffic light colours which achieved stand out on pack and that the label was easy to read and understand.

The result is a supermarket labelling system which provides customers with the most detailed, easy-to-understand information available in the retail market today and appeals to both nutritionally aware and less knowledgeable customers alike. 

ASDA’s new nutrition label has been welcomed by the Food Standards Agency (FSA) and health minister, Dawn Primarolo, and is based on the FSA’s own traffic light labelling system.   

It uses the distinct colours green, amber and red to highlight low, medium and high levels of sugar, fat, salt, saturated fats and calories in each product. 

In addition, it also includes the precise amount of each nutrient in grams per serving and the percentage of the guideline daily amount (GDA) this represents. 

It is specifically designed to be read and easily understood in under two seconds – the average length of time that many busy customers are prepared to spend reading a label – and will enable customers to see at a glance how best to choose foods which will give them a healthy, balanced diet. 

The move is bound to cause a fuss with rival supermarkets who have chosen to adopt either the easy-to-understand traffic light labelling system (Sainsbury) or the more complex GDA labelling system (Tesco and Morrisons), as it demonstrates that customers can have the benefits of both in a clear, simple format.

It will also cause consternation among leading big brand companies who have been reluctant to introduce any system which they feel could highlight the sugar and fat content of their products.   

Said ASDA’s chief executive, Andy Bond “Our new nutritional labelling system is the common sense solution to something that shoppers can find very confusing.  It’ll give our customers the best of both worlds – the simplicity and transparency of the traffic light labelling system, alongside the more detailed GDA information that some customers demand.  “An overwhelming majority of our shoppers have told us this is the style of labelling they want to see, so that’s exactly what we’re going to give them.”        

The new nutrition labels will be displayed prominently on the front of pack of over 1,000 different ASDA own-label food products.

 Packaging is already being re-formatted and the first products bearing the new labels will hit the shelves in September with the project due to be completed by the end of the year.  

Commenting on ASDA’s new nutritional labelling, health minister Dawn Primarolo said: “We welcome this move by ASDA.  It’s great news for consumers who can find nutrition labelling on food confusing.

We know from research that the traffic light colour code is quick and easy for people to use when they shop. We hope that many more retailers adopt the labelling in the future.” ASDA’s new nutritional labelling system is just the latest in a long list of initiatives the supermarket has launched to help promote a healthy, balanced diet.  

A major project to completely remove any artificial colours or flavours, hydrogenated fat or flavour enhancers, such as monosodium glutamate (MSG), from its own-label food and soft drink products will be complete by January 2008. 

In addition, the supermarket is replacing Aspartame in low calorie products with Sucralose, a sweetener made from sugar that tastes like sugar.   

All ASDA’s own label product ranges will also meet or exceed the Food Standard Agency’s salt targets by the end of the year, more than two years ahead of the 2010 deadline, following the removal of 156 tonnes of salt this year alone. 

Source: Asda