The Food Standards Agency, which was working to display nutritional information on food since 2004, announced that now it would not be asking all the manufacturers to use a simple green, amber and red traffic light system to indicate levels of fat, salt and sugar.

The FSA is reported to issue a strong recommendation in 2006 that all processed food should stick to the traffic light system to combat obesity. However, the Government disapproved.

As per the new proposals, which will be voted on at an FSA board meeting next Wednesday, it is mandatory for food companies to print the words "high", "medium" or "low" alongside the "guideline daily amounts" information. "Independent research and citizens' forums told us that people were confused and wanted a single approach developed by Government.

We also appreciate and understand that food businesses are starting from different positions", revealed Tim Smith, FSA chief executive. In addition, the British Retail Consortium (BRC) posted that it was too soon for the UK to stick to a new system, as a final decision was still to be come at European level.