Government puts nutrition at top of the menu
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New guidelines to put nutrition on the menu at UK catering colleges and in work-based training programmes were launched today by the Food Standards Agency and the Department of Health.
The Agency and the Department commissioned the British Nutrition Foundation to draw up practical guidelines for trainers after studies showed that many catering courses in the UK offered little or no information about nutrition.
The Government’s National Food Survey shows people are spending more money on food and drink consumed outside the home. It also shows that food eaten out has a higher percentage of fat and saturated fat than food eaten in the home.
It is hoped that the guide, Catering for Health, will help the Government meet its targets to reduce deaths from coronary heart disease, stroke and cancer.
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By GlobalDataFood Standards Agency Board member, restauranteur and Catering NVQ assessor Robert Rees said:
“A healthy, balanced diet is a vital factor in reducing coronary heart disease. Nowadays, food eaten outside the home plays an important part in many people’s daily food intake. Therefore, caterers could have a significant influence on the nutritional quality of many people’s overall diets.
“By further building basic nutrition guidelines into NVQ catering courses, we will be better equipping the caterers of tomorrow to produce food that is enjoyable to eat and good for you. “
The Government’s Health Survey for England has shown that obesity is on the increase. A healthy balanced diet is an important factor in helping to prevent overweight and obesity.
Health minister Yvette Cooper said:
“I welcome this document which provides help and information for chefs and would-be chefs who want to put healthy food on their menus and improve access to a balanced diet.”
Catering for Health was drawn up by a working party co-ordinated by the British Nutrition Foundation and was piloted with chefs and chef lecturers. It was formally launched at a conference in London today and will be distributed to colleges throughout the country.
It will outline the myths and facts about healthy eating and give practical tips on how healthier catering principles can be applied to all aspects of food preparation.
Sara Stanner, Nutrition Scientist for the British Nutrition Foundation, said:
“Learning about healthier catering practices will enable chefs to offer healthier choices, which customers increasingly want to buy.”
The Guide will also be available for work-based trainers
NOTES TO EDITORS
The Government’s Food Acceptability and choice Research programme is now funded by the Food Standards Agency. The programme’s last study ‘Nutritional Implications of Food Choices in Catering Outlets’ was published in 1997. It was carried out by Dr Anita Eves from the School of Management Studies for the Service Sector at Surrey University.
A Food Standards Agency funded research project, ‘Nutritional Implications of Food Choices in Catering Outlets’, showed that since the City and Guilds qualifications were replaced by NVQs there has been no requirement to teach nutrition.
The National Food Survey is a long-established source of information on food purchases and the nutritional value of the domestic diet. The annual results for Great Britain are based on a sample of around 6,000 households who are asked to keep a diary of their household and eating out food and drink purchases for one week. The National Food Survey is commissioned and managed by MAFF. The Food Standards Agency provides advice and information on methodology and nutritional aspects of the survey.
The Government’s White Paper ‘Saving Lives: Our Healthier Nation’ was published in July 1999. It set targets for reducing the death rate from cardiovascular disease and cancer. These targets are: to reduce deaths from cancer by at least a fifth in people under the age of 75 years, and to reduce the death rate from heart disease, stroke and related illnesses by at least two fifths, in people under the age of 75 years.
The Department of Health published the National Health Service Plan in July 2000. The section on improving diet and nutrition undertakes that the Department will work with the Food Standards Agency to pursue initiatives with the food industry, including caterers, to improve the overall balance of the diet.
The British Nutrition Foundation has previously produced successful nutrition guidance for initial teacher trainers and student teacher mentors – Food and Nutrition: guidance on food and nutrition in primary teacher training. The Foundation also has a series of publications for health professionals and others interested in nutrition research (www.nutrition.org.uk).
