Red light warning for cake eaters

The 'taffic light' system is already used by supermarkets

A family-owned bakery in County Down has decided to be extra clear about how much fat, sugar and salt is in its cakes and other products.

Graham's Bakery thinks using the 'traffic light' food labelling system will be good for its customers.

It is already used by supermarkets, but Graham's said it was unusual for an independent company to do the same.

It uses red, green and amber colour codes to signify whether fat, sugar and salt is high, medium or low.

"Consumers want to know about the fat and sugar content of the food they are eating and we see it as our corporate responsibility to be clear and honest about that," said managing director Esther Anderson.

"We are aware that the labels on our products will be mainly red and amber but we are emphasising the fact that our cakes are largely indulgent treats and we are not recommending they are eaten with every meal."

The World Health Organisation says 400m adults are obese worldwide

Andrea Marnoch, of the Food Standards Agency (FSA) in Northern Ireland said sweet treats should be enjoyed sensibly and eaten as part of a "healthy, balanced diet and active lifestyle".

"Food labels have a key part to play in tackling the obesity problem as consumers can see at a glance if a food is high in saturated fat, sugar or salt."

According to the World Health Organization, more than 400m adults are obese worldwide, and the figure for Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland combined is 19% of the adult population.