The new method for standardising food labelling, agreed after negotiations between UK government departments and food industry representatives, is intended to bring clarity to the nutritional information displayed on food packaging. The fat, saturated fat, salt, sugar and calorie content will be marked as either green (low), orange (medium) or red (high).

The scheme is intended to encourage healthier eating and minimise consumer confusion, with food companies currently offering no standardised method for measuring nutritional content. Recommended daily amounts will continue to be displayed alongside the more detailed breakdowns.

Several major brands have already agreed to implement the new guidelines, including Pepsi, Mars and Nestle. They are backed by most of the UK's largest supermarkets, including Tesco, Sainsbury, Aldi, Lidl and Marks & Spencers.

Coca-Cola, Kelloggs and Cadbury have rejected the implementation of the voluntary guidelines. Coca-Cola bosses have said they will not adopt the labelling, while Kelloggs stated they will have to review the proposals.

However, reports suggest that the cereal manufacturer actively lobbied against the agreement, as many of their even allegedly 'healthy' cereals would be forced to display some 'red lights' due to their salt or sugar content. Articles from as early as 2006 have reported Kelloggs' aversion to the implementation of such a scheme.

Although the system will only apply to the UK, it is likely to filter through to Ireland at some capacity, with many companies directly exporting their UK produce to Irish stores.