#FoodPH - What Makes a Good Nutrition Label? A Look Inside the Think Tank on Front-of-Pack Labeling

When you pick up a pack of chips or biscuits from the shelf, what catches your eye first? Beyond the price or expiration date, there's often a wealth of nutritional information right on the front of the pack. To make this information more meaningful and impactful, Mondelēz International recently brought together leaders from government, health, retail, and design agencies in a think tank focused on front-of-pack labeling (FOPL).

The Goal: Empowering Informed Food Choices

Mondelēz International and leaders from various sectors tackled a critical goal: helping Filipinos make more informed food choices using simple, science-backed front-of-pack labels. The aim is to promote overall nutrition literacy rather than fear or confusion.

Exploring Different Types of Front-of-Pack Labels

Panelists and experts delved into several FOPL systems used globally and locally:

• Guideline Daily Amounts (GDA): This numeric system shows how much a serving of the product contributes to a person’s recommended daily intake of calories, sugar, fat, saturated fat, and sodium. It helps consumers understand how the food fits into their day without labeling it as “good” or “bad.”
• Nutri-Grade / Nutri-Score / Traffic Light: These interpretive labels use color coding and letter grades (A to D or green to red) to give a quick visual cue about the overall nutritional profile of a product. They balance both positive (fiber, protein) and negative (sugar, salt, saturated fat) components to provide a broader view of healthfulness. The colors are like a traffic light: red, yellow, and green, making the information easily understandable.
• Warning Labels: Often shown as black “stop” symbols, this system helps consumers identify products with excessive amounts of critical nutrients such as sugars, total fats, saturated fats, trans fats, and sodium.

Regional Implementation and Harmonization

In Southeast Asia, Singapore has implemented the Nutri-Grade system, which assigns a grade from A to D based on the sugar and saturated fat content of beverages. The goal is to help consumers quickly assess healthier options. As more countries in the region explore front-of-pack labeling, there is a growing consensus that harmonizing FOPL systems could support both consumer clarity and trade facilitation, ensuring products move smoothly across markets while upholding shared public health goals.

Key Takeaways from the Think Tank

Attendees agreed that front-of-pack labels should be clear, simple, and easy for the average consumer to understand—regardless of age, education level, or health literacy. Labels must be grounded in science, free of judgment, and designed to support informed decision-making, not fear. Equally important is a comprehensive communication and education plan to help consumers understand and benefit from these labels. The goal is to create a system that empowers consumers to interpret nutrition at a glance and apply it to their daily diet choices.

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