The board agreed that nutritional labels should use three elements – traffic light colours (red, amber and green), text (high, medium or low) and percentage GDAs. McCain is one of the few food brands to already do this.
The agency does not support FOP labels using only GDAs, which is the food industry's preferred system and one which companies such as Kellogg and Unilever are beginning to roll out globally.
It also calls on brands to stop using colours other than traffic lights on labelling – the approach favoured by Tesco – as the agency says this confuses consumers.
Additionally, the FSA recommends that information on portion size should be realistic and not mislead and that labels should be used on a wider range of processed packaged foods.
Jeff Rooker, FSA board chair, said: "Tremendous progress has been made by industry in taking up front-of-pack labelling but different schemes are causing confusion to consumers."
The agency will now advise ministers of its recommendations before undertaking a four to six week consultation on the technical guidance that will be needed to implement the board's recommendations.
But the new scheme would be scrapped should the Tories form the next government as the party supports the universal use of the GDA system with traffic lights as optional.
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