Food Label Confusion to End as Leading Brands Sign Up
Major food and drink companies have signed up to a new initiative to end confusion around food labels.
The move comes as research shows that consumers are increasingly struggling to understand the information on food packaging.
A survey by the Food Standards Agency (FSA) found that 60% of consumers find food labels confusing. The research also found that 40% of consumers have bought food that they later realized was not suitable for them because they misunderstood the label.
The new initiative, called the Food Label Clarity Commitment, aims to make food labels clearer and easier to understand.
The commitment has been signed by a number of leading food and drink companies, including Tesco, Sainsbury's, Asda, Morrisons, Aldi, Lidl, Coca-Cola, PepsiCo, and Unilever.
The companies have agreed to make a number of changes to their food labels, including:
- Using simpler language
- Making the most important information more prominent
- Providing more information about the ingredients and nutritional value of food
The FSA has welcomed the commitment from the food and drink industry.
"This is a positive step towards making food labels clearer and easier to understand," said FSA chief executive Catherine Brown.
"We know that consumers are increasingly struggling to understand the information on food packaging, so this commitment from the food and drink industry is a welcome development.
"We will be working with the food and drink industry to ensure that the changes they make are effective in making food labels clearer and easier to understand."
