Major change to salt and sugar levels in UK food
Food manufactuirers are calling for a change in the rules
Food has got healthier but manufacturers want the rules changed
Food firms have cut salt and sugar levels in their products by nearly a third over the past decade, according to a report. But UK manufacturers across the sector are calling for more funding and 'bold action' to help drive further innovation in healthy eating.
The Food and Drink Federation (FDF) said research by Kantar Worldpanel showed products made by its members have 31% less salt, 30% less sugar and a quarter fewer calories than they did 10 years ago. The group – whose members make a quarter of all food and drink sold in the UK – said the progress comes after years of investment by the industry, including around £180 million in healthier product innovation in 2024 alone.
But the FDF said rising cost and regulation pressures are putting this investment under pressure, with a recent survey of its members showing 41% are planning to scale back spend on this as a result. It wants extra funding support and is urging the Government to take 'bold, co-ordinated action across the whole food system' to help with the shift towards healthier food.
'This includes mandatory reporting on the sales of healthier and less healthy products across manufacturing, retail and hospitality,' the FDF said. It also means taking a more consistent approach to health policy across the entire food chain, ensuring consumers have access to the same clear information that helps them to make healthier choices, no matter where they're eating,' it added.
As well as funding for research and development and science support to the food sector, it believes the Government should help smaller firms more, with a similar scheme to the Scottish Government's Reformulation for Health programme. Efforts so far by the industry have included changing recipes and portion sizes.
Article continues below
Some manufacturers have added extra portions of vegetables, while others have invested in new machinery to make changes to the cooking process and recipe. Karen Betts, chief executive of the FDF, said: 'Companies have made major progress in slashing the calories, salt and sugar in everyday food and drink – making the food people love better for them, alongside hugely expanding the range of healthy options.
'But tackling poor diets and lifestyles is a complex issue and needs a more joined-up approach. We're calling on the Government today to work in a more structured partnership with the entire food industry to deliver change.'
She added that 'holistic and co-ordinated action will help us truly move the needle on this critical health challenge'.
Article continues below
A government spokesperson said: 'As part of this government's Plan for Change, we are committed to achieving our health mission to build an NHS fit for the future, which includes shifting from sickness to prevention. We are working closely with the food industry to improve people's diets and reduce levels of obesity and have already restricted junk food advertising on TV and online as well as limiting school children's access to fast food outlets.
'Making healthier choices easier is a major part of creating a food environment that is fairer, with the fewest lives lost to the biggest killers and where everyone lives well for longer.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Mail
13 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
Labour's war on Middle England: Rural areas could foot the bill to pay for Rayner's reforms of council tax
Middle England will be hit by the highest possible increases in council taxes to pay for 's reforms to the system, town hall leaders have warned. Households in the countryside will reportedly be charged at unfairly high levels to pay for residents of cities under the Communities Secretary's 'fair funding' plans. Last night, Tory leader Kemi Badenoch branded it a 'spiteful' move that will push more cash into traditional Labour areas. Analysis by the County Councils Network (CNN) found rural and county local authorities will lose close to half a billion pounds in Government cash over the next three years thanks to Ms Rayner's attempt to level up the system. This will force them to cut vital services and hike bills for hard-pressed residents by the maximum 5 per cent allowed. The CCN demanded an urgent injection of cash from Whitehall to fill the gap, warning town halls on the brink would otherwise be unable to provide crucial care for the elderly and vulnerable children. It comes after almost all town halls raised bills by the maximum amount earlier this year to deal with soaring demand and costs, taking the average bill to £2,280. Chairman of the group, councillor Tim Oliver, said: 'Some 16 county and rural councils will see reductions in grant funding, while the Government's proposals place a disproportionate burden on taxpayers in county areas to fund local services and redistribute funding to urban areas. 'It's vital the Government makes more money available to mitigate the impact of these reforms.' Ms Badenoch said: 'Yet again the Labour Government is showing utter contempt for people living in rural Britain. 'The family farms tax has been devastating, and scrapping the rural services grant has put rural councils under enormous pressure. 'This latest change will steal more money out of the hands of county councils and send it straight into Labour-run urban areas.' Under Ms Rayner's Fair Funding Review 2.0, the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) will make major changes to how English councils are funded. Her updated formula will allocate cash based on local areas' needs and their ability to raise council tax compared to others around the country. The Institute for Fiscal Studies think-tank has already warned it will create big winners and losers, with those in the home counties likely to suffer budget cuts unless council taxes rise. In its response to the MHCLG consultation, published last night, the CCN said it would mean 16 authorities – including some in the Midlands and North – losing £470million of funding over the next three years. In total, county and unitary councils' grant funding will rise by just £374million. Unless 33 of the 38 town halls impose the maximum 5 per cent council tax rises, they will see a real-terms cut in funding, according to the CCN. Metropolitan authorities will get £1.2billion, and a proposal to redistribute £1.6billion in council tax income will benefit urban areas at the expense of the countryside. An MHCLG spokesman said: 'We do not recognise this analysis. We are taking decisive action to reform the funding system.'
Reuters
13 minutes ago
- Reuters
Japan June machinery orders rise 3.0% month-on-month
TOKYO, Aug 20 (Reuters) - Japan's core machinery orders rose 3% in June from the previous month, government data showed on Wednesday. That compared with a 1.0% drop estimated by economists in a Reuters poll. On a year-on-year basis, core orders, a highly volatile data series regarded as a leading indicator of capital spending in the coming six to nine months, grew 7.6%, versus a forecast for a 5.0% rise, the data showed. For the full table, go to the website of the Cabinet Office: opens new tab
Reuters
13 minutes ago
- Reuters
Japan's exports fall more than expected in July on US tariff pressures
TOKYO, Aug 20 (Reuters) - Japan's exports dropped for a third straight month in July, government data showed on Wednesday, as U.S. tariffs continued to weigh on manufacturers, raising concerns about the outlook for the country's export-reliant economy. The outcome follows unexpectedly strong growth in gross domestic product (GDP) in the April-June quarter, separate data showed last week, fuelled by surprisingly resilient exports and capital expenditure. Total exports from the world's fourth-largest economy dropped 2.6% year-on-year in July in value terms, more than a median market forecast for a 2.1% decrease and following a 0.5% drop in June. Exports to the United States in July fell 10.1% from a year earlier, while those to China were down 3.5%, the data showed. Imports in July dropped 7.5% from a year earlier, compared with market forecasts for a 10.4% fall. As a result, Japan ran a deficit of 117.5 billion yen ($795.4 million) in July, compared with a forecast of a 196.2 billion yen surplus. The United States imposed 25% tariffs on automobiles and auto parts in April and threatened 25% levies on most of Japan's other goods. It later struck a trade deal on July 23 that lowered tariffs to 15% in exchange for a U.S.-bound $550 billion Japanese investment package. The agreed tariff rate on automobiles, Japan's largest export sector, is still far higher than the original 2.5%, exerting pressure on major automakers and parts suppliers. Japanese automakers have mostly absorbed additional tariff costs by cutting prices to protect shipment volumes. But economists expect them to eventually pass on costs to U.S. consumers, which could hamper their sales in the U.S. market. ($1 = 147.7200 yen)
