Supermarket group Tesco is launching its own "signposting" system for flagging up the nutritional value of foods rather than the government's proposed "traffic light" scheme.

Tesco, the UK's largest retailer said its own label packs would display the amount of salt, fat, sugar and calories in grams, along with information about what proportion of the guideline daily amount this equates to.

The company said it hoped the labelling would mean shoppers could monitor their intake without having to do complicated calculations.

It rejected the Government's preferred option of printing red, amber and green "lights" on labels to indicate levels of salt, fat and sugar.

A Tesco spokesman said its own research indicated that the "traffic light" system was too simplistic as customers were unable to decide what amber meant.

Tesco also said it created "red foods", such as dairy products, which actually provided important nutrients like calcium.

"We know from talking to our customers that they are increasingly concerned about health and diet and want Tesco to help them lead a healthier lifestyle," said Tesco marketing director Tim Mason.

"Signposts provide clear and easy to understand information in a way which gives customers the power to choose products that will help them follow a balanced diet.

"Because they are split into five main categories the signposts also help customers who have specific dietary needs to keep a close eye on any area they might be worried about.

"It will now be easier than ever for customers to make healthy choices at a glance as they shop and without the need for a mathematics degree."

The first of the new "signpost" labels are in store this week and will be rolled out over the coming months.