Asda to bring in combined traffic light and GDA labels

In its consumer research prior to launching the scheme, Asda found that more than 95% of respondents favoured the its system over those of its rivals.

Some 64% of Tesco customers favoured the new Asda labels over Tesco's GDA version, Asda claimed.

They felt the bright traffic light colours made the labels easy to read and understand.

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.

Asda said its new system "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."

Rival supermarkets have chosen to adopt either the traffic light labelling system (Sainsbury) or the more complex GDA labelling system (Tesco and Morrisons).

Asda chief executive Andy Bond said: "Our new nutritional labelling system is the common sense solution to something that shoppers can find very confusing.”

The new nutrition labels will be displayed prominently on the front of pack of more than 1,000 Asda own-label food products.

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.

Health minister Dawn Primarolo also welcomed the move.

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