TONY SOLOMONS, RETAIL DIRECTOR, WAITROSE
NO. Clearly some sections of the food industry would like to believe that the debate over GDAs is done and dusted, but this is far from the case.
The most important factor for any labelling scheme is that it helps facilitate customer choice. The principle of a simple, easy-to-use, front-of-pack nutrition labelling scheme with colour-coded nutrients is not only preferred by many consumers, but also recommended by the Food Standards Agency and supported by Waitrose.
While GDAs provide guidance on the daily intake for an average adult and the nutritional contribution made by individual foods, they do not meet all consumers' needs for ease and speed of choice.
SUE NELSON, MANAGING DIRECTOR, COW MARKETING
NO. Sainsbury's, Asda and Waitrose have all opted for the traffic-light 'wheel' label, with research from the former showing that 60% of customers don't understand the percentage system used in GDA labelling, and a BBC straw poll last year finding that 67% of consumers preferred the traffic lights.
As a consumer I like the colour-coding system because it helps me quickly judge the calorific, fat, salt and sugar content of similar products, such as sandwiches and ready meals. But Kellogg is refusing to go down this route and instead has opted for GDA labels. Is this out of concern for its customers or because the traffic lights may be too revealing? I think it could be the latter.
NEIL FRANCIS, CREATIVE DIRECTOR, STEPHENS FRANCIS WHITSON
YES. The health of the nation, in particular the obesity problem, is a bigger issue than the argument surrounding GDA labelling and its competition.
The food industry needs to decide how it is going to educate and support consumers while the government tackles one of the great travesties of modern life.
Infighting, indecision and quibbling about a notation system should long have ceased.
Now we have to decide how the GDA system should be implemented. The haggling has stopped, and a concerted effort is required to promote the guidelines, communicate their relevance and show how they can be absorbed into everyday nutritional parlance.
IAN PRIEST, FOUNDING PARTNER, VCCP
YES. Most successful business professionals have a mantra along the lines of 'just do it'. It is a sentiment that resonates perfectly with this subject.
For too long the protagonists in the GDA and traffic-light debate have been prevaricating about how to proceed with nutritional labelling. At last, someone - Kellogg - is pushing for a conclusion.
However, this is only the start of the battle to better inform consumers on how best to eat more healthily or, at least, more knowledgeably. For me, the real issue is how the brands that need to display GDAs are going to communicate what they represent to the wider audience. The full gamut of marketing initiatives, not just on-pack representation, is required.