Food Standards Agency commissioned research published this week on front-of-pack nutritional labelling shows that consumers both welcome and want front-of-pack labelling and that they use it frequently to inform their choices, but there is confusion.

This early qualitative research has helped to inform the methodology for the main quantitative stage of the evaluation, which is about to begin - with the fieldwork due to be completed by the end of the year.

The final independent study, due in spring next year, will provide robust new evidence on how the three types of labelling schemes used in the marketplace are working. It will highlight the elements that are most effective in helping shoppers to make healthier choices and in turn this will help inform future government policy decisions on front-of-pack signpost labelling. The agency will be holding a stakeholder meeting on October 13 to look at how to translate the research findings into advice to government.

But in this early research the agency also found considerable confusion among consumers with regard to traffic-light labelling and the false assumption that the colours were not meaningful, or were nutrient-related or simply used so that they would stand out on packaging.

The FSA has funded a group of researchers led by Sue Duncan, a former chief social researcher for the government, to look at the influence of the variety of food labelling schemes in existence.

The findings are based on surveys involving 200 people from around the UK. They also found a tendency for some to ignore labelling when buying treats or basic ingredients, researchers also found people were likely to be influenced by manufacturers health claims such as the product being “low in fat”.

To add to the problem, while people took the nutritional information into account when shopping, some were less likely to do so when putting together a meal at home.

The study also showed there was a degree of confusion about the labels being used. Part of this is down to the variation in schemes, but researchers also said some of it was down to the labelling system itself. Duncan said: “It is too early to draw any firm conclusions, but some trends are emerging.”