A week after Tesco’s traffic light labelling climbdown, Aldi is set to follow in adopting a hybrid food labelling system.

The discounter, which has used GDAs since 2008 for its nutrition labelling, told The Grocer it had been convinced there was an increasing tide of customers wanting to see colour-coding.

“There is a growing consensus that customers want to see colour-coding as part of the front-of-pack information they need to help them lead healthier lifestyles. Aldi will move to colour-coded labelling to support this,” said Aldi MD of buying Tony Baines.

Baines added that Aldi was now waiting for the government to publish its guidance on the issue to help it implement the change. “We have always made it clear we are happy to change our front-of-pack labelling but have been awaiting clearer guidelines from government,” he said.

The Department of Health initiatied a consultation on front-of-pack labelling in May (The Grocer, 12 May), to achieve greater consistency through ‘voluntary harmonisation’, with the aim of adding a pledge on FoP to the Responsibility Deal - while working within the framework of the EU’s Food Information Regulations.

The consultation, which closed last month, also covered issues such as energy content per portion, use of ‘pings’, font sizes and potential exemptions.

Tesco’s decision to drop its years of opposition to traffic lights is being decision seen by many as a pivotal move in one of the industry’s longest-running disputes.

Aldi’s move leaves Lidl and Morrisons as the only big mults not using some form of traffic lights. Morrisons said last week it was “open-minded” about FoP labelling.

The two latest moves also leave suppliers more isolated than ever.

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