UK Restaurants May Be Forced to Use ‘Traffic Light’ Ratings on Menus

The UK Food Standards Agency may introduce legislation which will force restaurants to use a ‘traffic light’ rating system on their menus, reported the Independent. The rating system would consist of red, amber or green circles next to each menu item, highlighting the healthiness of each meal.

According to the Independent, the labeling system would follow similar guidelines to the GDA (guideline daily amount) labels utilized in supermarkets.

The scheme is being introduced in New York in May, following legislation which forces all restaurants and fast-food chains in the city to indicate the healthiness of all their products. The UK’s department of health has said that it will watch the New York scheme closely and base any decisions regarding future ‘traffic light’ ratings on its effectiveness in the city.

The Independent quoted a department of health spokesman as saying that the traffic light scheme may be introduced “in the future, as part of a healthy food code of good practice.”