Johnson: Most effective system needed

The most effective system of food labelling should be used across the board, health secretary Alan Johnson has said.

He said a panel of independent experts is to be convened to advise the government on food labelling.

At present there are a number of food labelling systems in place, including the 'traffic light' approach and the 'guideline daily amounts' system.

"What we're saying in our strategy is… we want an independent review by experts to say which of these systems is most effective for consumers, and then we hope that we can convince the industry to go for one system," Mr Johnson told the Today programme.

"There could be regulation down the track; there is regulation already, for instance in advertising food high in salt, fat and sugar to children."

He added that different views would be taken into account and it would not be a case of the government "dictating" how food labelling should be.