The Agency is launching a consultation on its proposals to introduce voluntary recommendations for food manufacturers for reductions in saturated fat and added sugar and increased availability of smaller, single-portion sizes in a number of key foods, such as biscuits, cakes, pastries, buns, chocolate confectionery and soft drinks.
The proposals will also encourage the industry to increase the proportion of marketing budgets allocated to healthier options.
The Agency’s work to encourage the industry to reformulate and reduce portion sizes will focus on those foods that will help deliver real public health benefits. The industry is also being asked to prioritise making reductions in their biggest-selling products for maximum impact.
The first phase of this work will focus on various sweet foods and treats. Later in the year, there will be further consultation on dairy and meat products and savoury snacks. Gill Fine, director of consumer choice and dietary health at the FSA, said: “We recognise the excellent work already achieved by some food businesses to make healthier eating easier. But to make even greater progress, it’s important that everybody gets behind our recommendations on saturated fat, added sugar and portion sizes.
“The food industry regularly reviews its ingredients and processes, as well as portion sizes, and the aim of this proposal is to encourage them to consider how they can play their part in improving public health and helping consumers to maintain a healthy weight.
“What we’re not doing is telling people what to eat! What we want to do is to make it easier for people to make healthier choices; to choose foods with reduced saturated fat and sugar or smaller portion sizes.”
Once the consultation is complete, comments will be taken into account and a summary of responses will be published. It’s anticipated that the final recommendations will be published by the end of the year.
The steps outlined in this programme tie in with the Department of Health’s Healthy Weight, Healthy Lives and the Healthy Food Code of Good Practice.
Source: Food Standards Agency
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