The House of Lords has issued a report stating that mandatory regulation is now essential in the UK’s food and drink sector to combat obesity effectively.
The Lords Food, Diet and Obesity Committee has emphasised the necessity for a substantial overhaul of the food industry in the United Kingdom, citing the failure of voluntary initiatives to promote healthier eating habits. The report highlights that England is among the high-income nations with the most significant obesity rates, with two-thirds of adults classified as overweight or obese.
The report draws attention to the successes of initiatives like the Soft Drinks Industry Levy, which has resulted in a reduction of over thirty per cent in sugar content within drinks over the past four years. This achievement underscores the potential impact of government intervention and supports the case for further legislative actions.
Proposed measures include the implementation of mandatory reporting by leading food and drink manufacturers on the percentage of their sales derived from unhealthy products and compulsory front-of-pack labelling. There is also a recommendation for a comprehensive ban on advertising products high in fat, salt, and sugar, especially by companies failing to meet healthy sales targets.
It is recommended that food businesses not achieving these healthy sales goals should be excluded from contributing to policy discussions on food, diet, and obesity prevention, to ensure only committed entities influence these crucial health policies.
Stefan Descheemaeker, chief executive of Nomad Foods, regards the report as a decisive move forward in addressing public health concerns. Descheemaeker stated that their company supports the requirement for firms to disclose the proportion of their sales from healthy products, a practice they have followed for the past seven years.
Descheemaeker further endorsed the idea of science-based taxation aligned with the UK Government’s Nutrient Profiling Model, advocating that this approach would incentivise healthier product reformulations. He also supports mandatory front-of-pack labelling to aid consumers in making informed food choices.
Nikita Sinclair, co-director of the children’s health and food programme at Impact on Urban Health, echoed support for the report, endorsing industry levies to motivate recipe improvements and make healthier, affordable products more accessible to families. Sinclair stressed the need for a holistic consideration of food production, marketing, and sales to truly address health disparities and repair the flawed food system.
This recent call from the House of Lords is part of a broader series of regulations introduced by the UK Parliament over the years, including measures such as the restriction of junk food advertisements before 9pm on television.
The report by the House of Lords signifies a critical step towards mandating regulations in the food industry, aiming to drive a comprehensive change in addressing the obesity crisis through holistic policy recommendations and industry accountability.
