Traffic light food labels: what red, amber and green really mean
Two jars of pasta sauce, two boxes of cereal, one minute before the trolley moves on. Here are the exact UK cut-offs behind each colour, the per-portion rule that turns a label red, and a checker you can use with any pack.
Example label with made-up values: per pack, with % of an adult's reference intake.
Last reviewed 1 November 2026 · Checked against NHS guidance · 13 min read
The short answer
On UK front-of-pack labels, green means low, amber means medium and red means high in fat, saturates, sugars or salt. For foods the colours are set per 100g: for example, sugars are red above 22.5g and green at 5g or less, and salt is red above 1.5g and green at 0.3g or less. Drinks use lower cut-offs per 100ml, and a large portion can turn red even when the per 100g figure is amber. More greens and ambers and fewer reds is the quick rule when you compare similar products.
What the front-of-pack label actually shows
The colour-coded panel on the front of a pack is a summary of the full nutrition table on the back or side. UK guidance on how to build it was developed by the Department of Health, the Food Standards Agency and the governments of Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, working with the British Retail Consortium. Two facts surprise most shoppers:
- It is voluntary. Most large supermarkets use it on their own-brand ranges, but some brands do not. The nutrition table on the back is required on almost all pre-packed food, so you can always work the colours out yourself.
- The colour comes from the per 100g figure. The grams and percentages printed in each segment are usually per portion, but the colour is decided by how much is in 100g (or 100ml for drinks), so similar products can be compared fairly.
Each panel shows five things: energy in kilojoules and kilocalories, then fat, saturates (saturated fat), sugars and salt. Energy is not colour coded. The percentage under each number is the share of an adult's reference intake, the approximate daily amount used on labels:
The government guidance says these reference intakes are based on an average-sized woman doing an average amount of physical activity. They are labelling benchmarks, not personal targets, and there are no reference intakes for children on UK labels. Your own needs may be higher or lower.
The cut-offs for each colour
These are the official UK criteria. They are the same numbers the NHS uses on its food labels page, so you can use them to colour-code any nutrition table, including on packs with no front label.
Foods: per 100g
| Nutrient | Green (low) | Amber (medium) | Red (high) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fat | 3g or less | More than 3g, up to 17.5g | More than 17.5g |
| Saturates | 1.5g or less | More than 1.5g, up to 5g | More than 5g |
| Sugars | 5g or less | More than 5g, up to 22.5g | More than 22.5g |
| Salt | 0.3g or less | More than 0.3g, up to 1.5g | More than 1.5g |
Drinks: per 100ml
| Nutrient | Green (low) | Amber (medium) | Red (high) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fat | 1.5g or less | More than 1.5g, up to 8.75g | More than 8.75g |
| Saturates | 0.75g or less | More than 0.75g, up to 2.5g | More than 2.5g |
| Sugars | 2.5g or less | More than 2.5g, up to 11.25g | More than 11.25g |
| Salt | 0.3g or less | More than 0.3g, up to 0.75g | More than 0.75g |
Salt or sodium? UK labels must show salt. If you see sodium on an imported product, the legal conversion is salt = sodium x 2.5, so 0.6g of sodium is 1.5g of salt, the point where a food turns red.
What the colours mean in practice, in the NHS's own terms: a pack that is all or mostly green is generally the healthier choice; amber foods are fine most of the time; and any red means the food is high in that nutrient, so it is one to have less often and in smaller amounts. Red does not mean "never". Cheddar cheese is red for saturates, but it still has a place on a balanced plate in sensible amounts, as our Eatwell Guide explainer shows.
The per-portion red rule most people miss
There is a second test on top of the per 100g cut-offs. Big portions can carry a lot of salt or sugar even when each 100g looks moderate, so UK guidance turns a segment red when one portion alone is a large share of the day.
- Is it a food sold in portions over 100g?If one portion has more than 21g fat, 6g saturates, 27g sugars or 1.8g salt, that segment is red. That is more than 30% of the reference intake in one go.
- Is it a drink sold in portions over 150ml?If one portion has more than 10.5g fat, 3g saturates, 13.5g sugars or 0.9g salt, that segment is red. That is more than 15% of the reference intake.
- Neither?The per 100g or per 100ml table above decides the colour on its own.
A 400g ready meal with 1.0g salt per 100g. Per 100g that is amber (above 0.3g, below 1.5g). But the whole pack holds 4.0g of salt, which is more than the 1.8g portion limit, so the salt segment is red. It is also two thirds of the 6g a day that the NHS says adults should not go over.
A 330ml can with 10.6g sugars per 100ml. Per 100ml that is amber, just under the 11.25g cut-off. The can holds about 35g of sugars, well over the 13.5g portion limit for drinks, so the sugars segment is red.
This is why two products with similar per 100g numbers can wear different colours. Always check the pack size against what you will actually eat. If you share a family pizza four ways, your portion is a quarter of the label; if you eat the whole thing, it is all of it.
Want to read any label in the time it takes to pick it up?
The Reading Food Labels course turns these tables into a pocket routine you use in the aisle:
- How each colour is worked out, so you can colour-code a pack with no front label
- Per 100g, per portion and reference intakes, with practice packs
- Hidden names for sugar and salt, nutrition claims, allergens and date labels
Comparing two packs side by side
Labels work best as a comparison tool between similar products: one granola against another, not granola against an apple. Here are two made-up granolas, colour-coded per 100g with the table above.
Granola A (made-up)
Honey and syrup clusters push sugars over 22.5g per 100g.
Granola B (made-up)
Two greens, two ambers, no reds.
Granola B is the better everyday pick by the NHS's own rule: more green and amber, fewer reds. Two more things finish the comparison. First, check the ingredients list: ingredients appear in order of weight, so if sugar, honey or syrup is near the start, there is a lot of it. Allergens are shown in bold in that list. Second, check the fibre line on the back: a food with 6g or more per 100g counts as high fibre, which the colours do not show at all.
Label colour checker
Type the per 100g (or per 100ml) numbers from the back of any pack to see its colours. Nothing is saved or sent.
Total sugars vs free sugars: why the label can mislead
The sugars segment is coloured on total sugars, as UK labelling law requires. That figure lumps together sugar added by the maker with sugars found naturally in milk, fruit and vegetables.
The NHS limit that matters for health is about free sugars: sugars added to food and drink, plus those in honey, syrups, nectars and unsweetened fruit juice and smoothies. Adults should have no more than 30g of free sugars a day, about 7 sugar cubes, with lower limits for children (24g at age 7 to 10, 19g at age 4 to 6).
So a plain natural yoghurt can show amber for sugars because of the natural milk sugar, while a sweetened one with a similar colour may be mostly added sugar. The ingredients list tells them apart. Names that signal added sugar include cane sugar, brown sugar, honey, glucose, fructose, sucrose, dextrose, maltose, corn syrup, high-fructose corn syrup, fruit juice concentrate, maple syrup, agave syrup, molasses and treacle.
Claims on the pack: what the words legally mean
Words such as "light" or "reduced" sit right next to the traffic lights and can pull you the other way. In the UK they are only allowed when a product meets legal conditions set out in retained nutrition claims law:
| Claim | What the product must meet | What to check |
|---|---|---|
| Low fat | No more than 3g fat per 100g (1.5g per 100ml for drinks) | Sugars, which are sometimes higher in lower fat versions |
| Fat free | No more than 0.5g fat per 100g or 100ml | Sugars and salt colours |
| Low sugars | No more than 5g sugars per 100g (2.5g per 100ml) | Fat and saturates colours |
| Sugars free | No more than 0.5g sugars per 100g or 100ml | Whether sweeteners are used, if that matters to you |
| No added sugars | No added sugars or sweetening foods; must say "contains naturally occurring sugars" if it does | Total sugars can still be amber or red, for example in dried fruit products |
| Reduced (fat, sugar and so on) | At least 30% less than similar products (25% for salt) | It can still be red: 30% less than a very high product is still high |
| Light or lite | Same conditions as "reduced", and the label must say what makes it light | Which nutrient is lighter, and how the others compare |
| High fibre | At least 6g fibre per 100g (or 3g per 100kcal) | Sugars, often in cereals and bars |
A useful habit: whenever a claim catches your eye, glance straight at the colours for the nutrients the claim does not mention.
Do
- Compare like with like: two pasta sauces, two breads, two yoghurts
- Check the pack size and the portion you will really eat
- Use the back table when there is no front label
- Read the first three ingredients
- Look at fibre as well as the colours
Do not
- Treat one red as a reason to ban a food for good
- Assume "light" or "reduced" means green
- Compare a per portion number with a per 100g number
- Judge fruit, milk or plain yoghurt on the sugars colour alone
- Use the percentages as personal targets for a child
The 30-second label routine for your weekly shop
You do not need to study every pack. Use this short routine on the products you buy most often, once. After that, your regular basket is already sorted and you only check new products.
- Find the panelFront label, or the back table if there is none.
- Count the redsNote which nutrient is red: salt, sugars, fat or saturates.
- Check the portionPack size versus what you will eat.
- Compare one rivalPick up the similar product next to it on the shelf.
- Scan ingredientsSugar or salt names near the start, allergens in bold.
Start with the cupboard staples that families buy every week and that often hide salt or sugar: bread, breakfast cereal, cooking sauces, baked beans, yoghurts and ready meals. If you then plan the week around those choices, the Healthy Meal Planning course shows you how to turn a balanced plan into an aisle-sorted shopping list with traffic light comparisons built in. If salt and saturated fat matter more to you at midlife, our menopause diet guide explains why bones and heart become the focus.
When labels are not enough: speak to a professional
- You have been told to follow a low-salt, low-fat or low-sugar diet for a health condition. Your GP or a registered dietitian can give you limits that fit you, which may differ from the label benchmarks.
- You or your child has a food allergy. Always read the allergen information on every pack, every time, and ask your GP or allergy team about anything you are unsure of.
- You take medicines, including some dissolvable tablets, that may contain salt. Your pharmacist can check them.
- You are pregnant, breastfeeding or feeding a baby or toddler, whose needs are different from the adult reference intakes. Your midwife, health visitor or GP can help.
Shop with confidence: courses that go further
These are short, self-paced educational courses with tools you use in the shop and at home. They do not treat any condition. Browse every nutrition course or compare the three that fit this guide.
Reading Food Labels
Traffic lights, per 100g and reference intakes, hidden sugars and salt, legal claims, allergens and dates, ending in a 30-second shop routine.
Healthy Meal Planning
A balanced week planned in about 20 minutes, with a shopping list sorted by aisle and product comparisons using traffic light labels.
Understanding the Eatwell Guide
The UK plate in five modules, including the daily guideline amounts for sugar, salt and saturated fat used on labels.
Full refund within 14 days if you have completed less than 20% of the course and no certificate has been issued. Courses are educational and do not treat any condition.
Related guides
- Eatwell Guide explained: the 5 food groups and a sample UK day.
- Menopause diet UK: salt, saturated fat and calcium at midlife.
- Which course should I take?: match a MyNutriCare course to your goal.
Traffic light label questions
What do red, amber and green mean on food labels?
Red means high, amber means medium and green means low in fat, saturated fat, sugars or salt. The NHS says a pack that is all or mostly green is generally the healthier choice, amber foods are fine most of the time, and red foods are ones to have less often and in smaller amounts.
How much sugar per 100g is high?
For foods, more than 22.5g of total sugars per 100g is high (red) and 5g or less is low (green). For drinks the cut-offs are lower: more than 11.25g per 100ml is high and 2.5g or less is low.
How much salt per 100g is a lot?
More than 1.5g of salt per 100g is high (red) and 0.3g or less is low (green). That is the same as more than 0.6g or 0.1g of sodium. For drinks, more than 0.75g of salt per 100ml is high.
Why is a label red when the per 100g number is amber?
UK guidance has a per-portion rule. A food portion over 100g is red if it has more than 21g fat, 6g saturates, 27g sugars or 1.8g salt. A drink portion over 150ml is red above 10.5g fat, 3g saturates, 13.5g sugars or 0.9g salt.
Are traffic light labels compulsory in the UK?
No. Front-of-pack colour coding is voluntary, although many supermarkets and brands use it. The nutrition table on the back or side is required on most pre-packed food, so you can work the colours out yourself with the per 100g cut-offs.
What does reference intake mean on a label?
Reference intakes are the approximate daily amounts used on labels: 2,000kcal energy, 70g fat, 20g saturates, 90g sugars and 6g salt for an adult. They are based on an average-sized woman with average activity and are not personal targets.
Do traffic light labels show added sugar?
No. The colour is based on total sugars, which includes natural sugars in milk and fruit. Check the ingredients list for added sugars such as sugar, honey, syrups, glucose, dextrose or fruit juice concentrate.
Is a food with one red light unhealthy?
Not on its own. A red light means that food is high in one nutrient, so it is worth having less often or in smaller amounts. Compare it with similar products and think about how much you eat and how often. You can browse every course and guide on the My Nutri Care home page.
Sources
- NHS: How to read food labels (last reviewed 30 June 2026)
- Department of Health and Food Standards Agency: Guide to creating a front of pack nutrition label for pre-packed products sold through retail outlets (updated November 2016)
- NHS: Sugar, the facts (last reviewed 19 May 2023)
- NHS: Salt, the facts (last reviewed 17 April 2023)
- NHS: Fat, the facts (last reviewed 14 April 2023)
- NHS: How to get more fibre into your diet (last reviewed 2 March 2026)
- legislation.gov.uk: Regulation (EC) No 1924/2006 on nutrition and health claims, Annex
- legislation.gov.uk: Regulation (EU) No 1169/2011 on food information to consumers, Annex I
This article is general information about UK food labelling and public health guidance. It is not medical or dietary advice for you personally. If you have a health condition, a food allergy, take medicines or are feeding a baby or young child, speak to your GP, pharmacist or a registered dietitian.
