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The Retailer's Story - about GDAs

Karen Tonks, Company Nutritionist, Tesco

Tesco's core purpose is to create value for its customers and earn their lifetime loyalty. We have developed our health strategy based on how customers have told us we can help them to live more healthy lives:

• Providing better information on the nutritional value of products, and on how customers can improve their health
• Making healthy options more accessible, through pricing and promotions, product improvements and healthy ranges
• Making it simpler and more attractive to lead an active lifestyle

In May 2004, Tesco trialled traffic light labels on the front of its packs. Following feedback from customers and technical concerns about the accuracy of traffic lights, we adopted the GDA front of pack labels that can be found on our 7,000 eligible products. In particular, customers told us that:

• Red meant stop, not caution, to them
• Shoppers didn't know how to react to amber codes
• Wide bands meant that products with differing nutritional profiles had similar colour combinations
• People wanted more information than traffic lights could give them
• The above issues made them sceptical of the colour codes

Customers spoke and Tesco listened.

Tesco has committed to a GDA based approach that is consistent across all food, and where nutritional information is interpreted on a per portion basis, not per 100g, Tesco has also committed to integrating labelling throughout its business, thereby making it a relevant and informative tool for customers, suppliers and employees alike.

Here are eight examples of GDA labels influencing communications tactics:

1. All Tesco recipes now include GDA information for people who like to cook from scratch
2. In-store promotions now include guidance on how to use GDA labels
3. Press advertisements, even for indulgent treats like syrup sponge and chocolate pudding, clearly explain the role of GDA labels
4. GDA guidance is included in all online shopping facilities and online recipes
5. There is a lunchbox GDA toolkit, where parents can create a virtual lunch and understand the GDA scores for the meals they choose for their children
6. The online Healthy Living tracker offers a similar, but broader facility for adults
7. Product reformulation is guided by GDA scores: the products in the Tesco Healthy Living range have to adhere to GDA parameters to be considered for launch
8. Every Tesco menu in staff canteens carries GDA information about the meals on offer to employees

There is emerging evidence that this approach is not only creating new levels of shopper awareness about the nutrients in the food that people eat, but that, in some instances, people are actually changing the things that they buy. They may be shopping more healthily.

Sales of Tesco lower fat ready meals increased[1] when GDA signposts were added and out-sold higher alternatives by 7%.

Sales of Tesco lower salt ready meals increased[2] when GDA signposts were added and out-sold higher alternatives by 10%

Tesco is, along with the rest of the industry, on a journey. In its experience so far the GDA approach on the front of packaging has been effective in helping the company move in the right direction.

• Giving shoppers information they want in the style they prefer
• Encouraging brands to reformulate
• Acting as a tool for effective communications
• Starting to change the way people shop

About Karen

Karen has worked for Tesco in the Nutrition and Labelling arena for 21 years. She is responsible for all Nutrition and Labelling policy for food and non-food and has developed customer labelling and health initiatives such as Healthy Living, Gi, Nutritional Signposting, Free From and Guideline Daily Amounts.

Karen's team manages the impacts of EU and UK Labelling Legislative developments for the business, ensures the implementing policies are communicated to the Business and that Tesco labels are compliant.

Karen represents Tesco on many Government and Industry Working Groups.

More information

• The Industry Story
• What Shoppers Say
• Shopper Research
• Dietitian's Story
• Food Company's Story
• The Newspaper's Story
• The Politician's Story
• Download the full PDF report: Seven Voices: GDA Labels make a real difference - pdf | 1.6Mb

• Seven Voices: GDA Labels make a real difference - pdf | 1.6Mb

References

1. Weekly sales 8 weeks before and 8 weeks after GDA signposts were added, Tesco Clubcard data, April 2006
2. Weekly sales 8 weeks before and 8 weeks after added, Tesco Clubcard data, April 2006