Food labelling: front of pack

Food labelling is a confusing business. We've got nutritionist Suzannah Olivier to help you get to the bottom of what's written on the packaging

• Traffic light labelling
• GDA (guideline daily amounts)
• No added sugar or unsweetened
• Fresh, pure, natural, farmhouse, traditional, style, handmade, premium, finest, best, quality, selected, local, seasonal, farmer's market
• Light or lite
• Flavour
• Red Tractor, and other Assured Food Standards
• Barn laid, farm fresh, free range
• Organic
• Vegetarian

Traffic light labelling
Good or bad?: Most authorities agree this latest system is the best way of easily working out the merits or demerits of a packaged food.
What it means: Promoted by the Food standards agency it tells you at a glance if a product is high, mid or low in overall fat, saturated fat, added sugars or salt. This is the easiest way of comparing products at a glance, so for two sandwiches side by side in the chill cabinet, you might choose the one with the most green or amber lights and avoid the one with the most red lights.

GDA (guideline daily amounts)
Good or bad?: Probably more people will find this system less easy to interpret than the traffic light system.
What it means: Serves the same purpose as the traffic light system, but designed by a group of food manufacturers and retailers and the suspicion is that it suits their purposes rather than truly being helpful. Many authorities argue that it is less user friendly and deliberately designed to confuse.

No added sugar or unsweetened
Good or bad?: Good... or could be bad!
What it means: In theory no added sugar is a good thing. But the manufacturer can use fruit juices to add sweetness which can amount to the same thing as adding sugar. This statement also often means, particularly with cordials and drinks, that artificial sweeteners have been added, so you then need to check the back for ingredients such as Aspartame? or saccharine.