The printed labels on food products should be altered to incorporate the traffic light system, one expert has said.

Freddie Dawson, assistant editor of FoodManufacture.co.uk, commented that there is currently a lot of information crammed on to packaging, which many consumers are likely to simply skip reading.

Instead, he recommended putting in place a simpler method of labelling to indicate nutritional value.

"I know the industry in general does not support traffic lights for health information, but for me it's quite an easy way to view a packet of food and quite quickly ascertain how healthy it is," the expert explained.

However, Mr Dawson acknowledged that there would probably need to be a minimum amount of packaging in order to do this, so work may need to be done on making it kinder to the environment.

Tam Fry from the National Obesity Forum and the Child Growth Foundation recently said that printed labels of foods need to be clearer, because many people are currently confused about the nutritional content of the products they are feeding their families.

Denny Bros Ltd, 19 July 2011