Food businesses must make it easier for customers to buy healthy food, under new government plans announced on Sunday. Supermarkets and food manufacturers in England will partner with the government to tackle obesity rates by encouraging people to make their weekly shop healthier. Ministers say it will be up to food retailers to decide how they do that, but it could involve offering promotions on healthy food, tweaking loyalty points to incentivise healthy options, or changing shop layouts. It may also involve changing products to make them healthier. It is hoped the plans will help to make healthy eating more accessible to customers and relieve pressure on the NHS. The policy will see major food retailers report on healthy food sales in a bid to increase accountability, but it does not impose specific targets. The plan is part of a raft of measures aimed at improving the health of the nation that will be included in the 10-year plan for the NHS in England, which is expected to be published next week. "Unless we curb the rising tide of cost and demand, the NHS risks becoming unsustainable," Health Secretary Wes Streeting said. "This government's ambition for kids today is for them to be part of the healthiest generation of children ever. That is within our grasp." The upcoming report will show that more than one in five children are living with obesity by the time they leave primary school, rising to almost one in three in the most deprived areas. A recent report founda basket of healthy food costs more than double that of less healthy options. The Food Foundation reported that 1,000 calories of healthy food such as fruit and veg costs £8.80, compared to £4.30 for the equivalent amount of less healthy food, such as ready meals and processed meats. Andrew Opie of the British Retail Consortium said the news is "really positive" but said "all food businesses" must work together to drive down obesity. "Engaging all food businesses makes a difference," Opie told the BBC. "It can't just be about supermarkets- we consume about a quarter of our calories outside the home, so unless we get all supermarkets, food retailers, and restaurants on board, we won't move the dial on obesity." Opie said that he agreed with the government's flexible approach on the standards, as businesses have "a lot of insights and data" into how we shop for food and what would be best for their customers. Katharine Jenner, director of the Obesity Health Alliance said: "The government has rightly identified the root cause of obesity-related ill health: a food system that makes healthy eating difficult." She said it was encouraging to see the government putting the spotlight on businesses "rather than placing the burden on individuals who are already struggling to get by." Alongside the new partnership, the government said it will also: It is hoped the new guidance will reduce people's sugar and calorie intake overall. The government cited research showing that cutting just 50 calories a day would lift 340,000 children and two million adults out of obesity. If everyone who is overweight reduced their calorie intake by just 216 calories a day, which is equivalent to a single bottle of fizzy drink, obesity would be halved, researchers said. This is not the first time the government has sought voluntary partnerships with industry. Over the last 20 years there has been numerous food reformulation programmes aimed at reducing salt, sugar and calories in certain foods. Success has been mixed with a push to reduce sugar in certain foods by 20% between 2015 and 2020 falling well short. Sarah Woolnough, from The King's Fund think tank, said while welcome, the impact of the scheme may be limited. “A lot of less healthy food and drink is purchased from local convenience shops and takeaways. “The stark fact remains that unhealthy food is far cheaper and more readily available and so unless this change is part of a wider, comprehensive strategy it will not be enough.”
Food retailers pushed to make healthy options more appealing
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TruthLens AI Summary
The UK government has announced new plans aimed at encouraging healthier eating habits among consumers, particularly in light of rising obesity rates. Under these initiatives, food retailers and manufacturers in England will collaborate with the government to enhance the appeal of healthy food options. The ministers have emphasized that it will be up to the retailers to determine the strategies they implement, which could include promotions on healthier food items, adjustments to loyalty programs to reward healthier choices, or modifications to store layouts to make nutritious options more visible. Additionally, there may be efforts to reformulate products to improve their health content. The overarching goal of these measures is to make healthy eating more accessible and to alleviate some of the pressures on the National Health Service (NHS). As part of this initiative, major food retailers will be required to report on their sales of healthy food, increasing accountability without enforcing specific sales targets. This policy is a component of a broader ten-year health strategy for the NHS in England, set to be unveiled soon.
Health Secretary Wes Streeting highlighted the urgency of addressing obesity, stating that failure to act could render the NHS unsustainable. Current statistics indicate that over 20% of children are classified as obese by the time they finish primary school, with the figure rising to nearly one in three in impoverished areas. The cost disparity between healthy and unhealthy food options is stark, as a basket of healthy items can exceed double the price of less nutritious alternatives. Industry representatives, such as Andrew Opie from the British Retail Consortium, have expressed optimism about the government's approach but stressed the importance of collaboration among all food businesses, including restaurants and convenience stores, to make a meaningful impact on obesity. Experts like Katharine Jenner from the Obesity Health Alliance have praised the government for addressing systemic issues rather than solely placing the burden on individuals. However, concerns remain about the effectiveness of voluntary partnerships, as previous attempts to reformulate food for lower sugar and calorie content have seen limited success. Analysts warn that without a comprehensive strategy that addresses the affordability and availability of healthy food, these new initiatives may not sufficiently combat the obesity crisis.
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