SO-CALLED healthy foods do little for the wealth of people across the North, a consumer protection test revealed.

A survey across the North of 200 everyday groceries, each deemed "healthy products", revealed they represent poor value for money compared to normal varieties.

Trading standards officers discovered that reduced fat foods can cost as much as 50p more than standard lines.

Phil Holman, head of Durham County Council's consumer services, said customers should be aware of what to look for when buying apparently "healthy" pro-cessed foods.

"A popular marketing ploy of some manufacturers is to show their brands as "low fat", or "less than x per cent fat", when by their very nature, the food is low fat."

Mr Holman urged consumers not to be taken in by the manufacturers' claims.

"The watchword must be: 'Compare the nutritional information against regular products'."

Findings of the survey featured one product, billed as "85 per cent fat free", contained 15 per cent fat - five times the level for a normal "low fat" food.

Shoppers are advised to be aware of the huge differences between claims of "25 per cent fat free", "25 less fat" and "25 per cent fat".

Don Ross, a Durham County Council cabinet member, said there appears to be no justification for healthy varieties of popular brands being so much more expensive.

"Healthy diets are an important part of the Government's Health of the Nation agenda - but healthier food should not just be an option for the better off," he added.

The survey was carried out by the Northern Counties Trading Standards Group.