Some of the UK’s biggest food manufacturers and retailers have signed up to a new government initiative that aims to cut 5bn calories a day from the national diet.
The move is an extension of the government’s voluntary Responsibility Deal and is designed to tackle rising obesity rates. As a result, almost three-quarters of the retail market will look to cap the calories consumed in the UK each day, health secretary Andrew Lansley announced today (26 March).
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Signatories include the UK’s four largest retailers – Tesco, Asda, Sainsbury’s and Morrisons – alongside the likes of Nestle, Unilever, Mars, PepsiCo and Premier Foods.
“Eating and drinking too many calories is at the heart of the nation’s obesity problem,” Lansley said. “This pledge is just the start of what must be a bigger, broader commitment from the food industry. But it is a great step in the right direction and will help million of us eat and drink fewer calories.”
Commenting on the agreement, retail industry body the BRC said the Responsibility Deal was a “welcome alternative” to legislation on food policy.
“Responsible retailers are dedicated to helping people make healthier choices. They’ve demonstrated this by working closely with the Department of Health to develop a string of new commitments on healthy eating and drinking,” BRC food director Andrew Opie said.
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By GlobalDataHowever, he warned: “We need time to see some evidence of what’s working so we can be sure concerted efforts are going into the right initiatives. There’s a danger of this becoming a pledge treadmill with new pledges every few months.”
