Why is Nestlé opposed to the ‘traffic light’ scheme of food labelling?
Nestlé is opposed to an introduction of ‘traffic lights’ or other simplistic schemes based on the erroneous principle of “good products – bad products” and which focus only on negative aspects of nutrients and do not offer factual information. A “green”, “amber”, “red” light approach to the nutritional merits of a product does not help to place the food in either the context of an individual’s needs, or in the context of a balanced, varied and moderate diet. Furthermore, traffic light schemes do not encourage step by step product improvement, since only major reductions of a nutrient would change a traffic light’s status. On the other hand, Nestlé supports Guideline Daily Amounts (GDAs) which provide a guide to the daily intake for key nutrients such as protein, fat, fibre, sugars, calories, salt and/or sodium. GDAs are factual and objective and ensure consumers can evaluate a product’s role in the daily diet. In this respect, Nestlé (in conjunction with other major food companies) pub
