Tesco's 'healthy' red alert

Prunella Scales, who plays Tesco's 'irritating mum' character in the television commercials

Its promise to introduce red warning labels on foods high in fat, salt and sugar gave Tesco a head start in the healthy eating stakes.

But it seems the first products which need the labels slapped on them come from the supermarket's own Healthy Living range.

Campaigners found high levels of sugar, salt and fat in foods meant to offer shoppers a healthier option.

The Food Commission said Tesco was far from alone in offering such products.

But it decided to highlight the supermarket because it was the only one introducing a 'traffic light' labelling scheme.

Under the scheme, a red label signifies high levels of fat, sugar or salt, while amber suggests moderate levels and green low levels.

Tesco is due to introduce the scheme in September in response to demands from MPs on the Health Select Committee who want supermarkets to make labels simpler.

The Food Commission compared Tesco's Healthy Living products with nutritional guidelines issued by the Food Standards Agency.

Using these guidelines, it found a number of 'nasty surprises', it said.

The Tesco range's sultana bran flakes would receive two red lights - for salt and sugar - while its sunflower spread would get three for fat, saturated fat and salt.

Its 'light' soft cheese would also receive a red light for saturated fat.

Tesco's Healthy Living liver pate would have to show red lights for saturated fat and salt.

Its fruit swirls frozen dessert would receive a red light for sugar while sausages another for salt.

Tesco has yet to announce which labels will be put on which products.

But the company said it was working on a different set of criteria based on dietary targets set by the World Health Organisation.

The Food Commission article said failing to use the FSA standards would be 'highly misleading to consumers and a slap in the face for the agency's guidance'.

Under the FSA approach, products would be given red lights for more than 10g of sugar per 100g, 20g of fat per 100g, 5g of saturated fat per 100g and 1.25g of salt per 100g.

'Customers can be assured that buying a Healthy Living product guarantees that it is healthier than the standard equivalent,' Tesco said in a statement.

'A good example is a Healthy Living chocolate eclair, which contains less than half the fat of an ordinary eclair but is likely to still be a red.' A spokesman added: ' By introducing this system we are allowing consumers to see for themselves what the content is whereas they may not understand the information on the back of a packet.'

r.yapp@dailymail.co.uk

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