The UK’s Department of Health has revealed that it is working to develop the second and third phases of the Responsibility Deal, which promotes the government’s national health agenda in cooperation with the food industry and voluntary sector.

The Deal, launched at the end of last year, has seen food manufacturers and retailers sign up to a set of voluntary targets. These include commitments to improve the information available to consumers, the UK’s “health environment” and the content of food products.

Go deeper with GlobalData

Data Insights

The gold standard of business intelligence.

Find out more

Related Company Profiles

View all

“The Responsibility Deal allows us – government – to work in partnership with a wide range of businesses,” Dr Clair Baynton of the DoH told the Food and Drink Federation’s biscuit, cake, chocolate and confectionery sector group last week (6 April).

“We have worked very closely with industry to develop these pledges and we have really got the Responsibility Deal off to an excellent start,” she insisted.

According to Baynton, reformulation targets are “now very much a part of the Responsibility Deal”. To date, these have included the aim to collectively cut salt content by a further 15% on 2010 targets by 2012 and to remove artificial trans fats by the end of 2011.

See Also:

While Baynton hailed the success that the Responsibility Deal has seen to date, she insisted that the DoH recognised – and is acting on – the need to drive the agenda forward.

How well do you really know your competitors?

Access the most comprehensive Company Profiles on the market, powered by GlobalData. Save hours of research. Gain competitive edge.

Company Profile – free sample

Thank you!

Your download email will arrive shortly

Not ready to buy yet? Download a free sample

We are confident about the unique quality of our Company Profiles. However, we want you to make the most beneficial decision for your business, so we offer a free sample that you can download by submitting the below form

By GlobalData
Visit our Privacy Policy for more information about our services, how we may use, process and share your personal data, including information of your rights in respect of your personal data and how you can unsubscribe from future marketing communications. Our services are intended for corporate subscribers and you warrant that the email address submitted is your corporate email address.

“Phase two” of the Responsibility Deal will see the government “encourage wider participation” by launching a more inclusive electronic Food Network – one of five networks that deal with specific health issues. The department will also send out a monthly newsletter to keep interested parties up-to-date on progress made. A high-level steering group has been established to oversee the work and establish task-specific working groups, Baynton added.

Significantly, Baynton revealed that the second phase of the Responsibility Deal will also see industry groups sign up to a fresh set of objectives, including addressing issues of calorie reduction and improving consumer access to fruit and vegetables. Discussions on calorie reduction “are just beginning” and the first workshop on the issue was held last Thursday (7 April), she revealed.

Meanwhile, Baynton added, the government is already looking to develop a set of “phase three” pledges that will include the replacement of saturated fats in foods and the promotion of healthier foods.

Defending the voluntary approach that has been attacked by some critics, Baynton insisted that the Deal allowed progress to be made against the UK government’s national health agenda at a faster pace than if regulators had gone the legislative route.

“The Responsibility Deal has been quite an intensive period of activity,” she said. “All of this work on the Responsibility Deal is about industry undertaking voluntary action.”