Traffic light labelling will receive a boost to its profile this weekend with its first television airing, as part of the Food Standards Agency's multi-million-pound salt levels campaign.

The agency will sign off its latest ads - which encourage consumers to check labels for salt content - with 'High, medium, low. Be in the know', using the red, amber and green roundels.

FSA head of nutrition Rosemary Hignett said that the time was right to begin marketing the scheme.

"We want to start raising the profile of exactly what people will see when shopping in stores that use ­traffic-light labelling.

"We have kept it simple as the beauty of a traffic-light approach is that you don't need to explain or educate people on how it works - it speaks for itself."

Importantly, the move by the agency trumps the guideline daily amount (GDA) camp, which is not scheduled to launch its marketing until early next year.

The campaign comes as Kettle Foods is the latest manufacturer to step into the GDA versus traffic light debate with new labels rolling out on Kettle Chips.

However, rather than put its combined approach labels - which involves using GDA boxes outlined with the appropriate traffic-light colour - on the front of packs, brand owner Kettle Foods has opted to go back of pack until industry consensus is reached.

MD Jeremy Bradley said: "We have huge support for making information as clear for consumers as we can. This is a total industry issue and if, in time, it becomes a code of practice, then we will back whichever way the decision goes."

Although Kettle Foods is a member of the Food and Drink Federation, which shuns the use of traffic lights, Bradley said that this was not about breaking ranks with manufacturers. He added that it did not have to be an "either-or" choice.

The combination approach chosen by Kettle Foods follows similar decisions by McCain Foods and Asda. More food manufacturers and retailers are expected to choose between the schemes over the coming months.