On 24 October, the House of Lords Food, Diet and Obesity Committee released a report, urging the UK government to introduce mandatory regulations for the food and drink industry to effectively address the nation’s obesity crisis.
The report emphasises that voluntary initiatives to promote healthier eating have not succeeded, necessitating a comprehensive overhaul of the existing food industry framework. It highlights that England faces one of the highest obesity rates among affluent countries, with two-thirds of adults classified as overweight or obese.
Building on the successful measures like the Soft Drinks Industry Levy, which has resulted in a notable reduction of sugar content in beverages by over a third in the last four years, the report suggests additional government interventions. These include obligatory reports from leading food and drink manufacturers on the sales percentage of unhealthy products, enforced front-of-pack labelling, and a complete ban on advertising high fat, salt, and sugar (HFSS) products by companies failing to meet healthy sales benchmarks.
The recommendation further stipulates that companies not achieving such goals should be excluded from policy discussions concerning food, diet, and obesity prevention. Stefan Descheemaeker, Chief Executive of a major food company, described the report as a significant advancement in public health management, reinforcing the necessity for industry accountability.
He stated, “We support measures requiring companies to report on the proportion of their sales that come from healthy products, which we have been doing for the last seven years. On tax, we believe this should be science-based in line with the UK Government’s Nutrient Profiling Model, that determines whether a product is healthy or less healthy based on its overall nutritional profile, rather than focusing on the specific levels of individual nutrients. This model would then help incentivise companies to reformulate to create healthier products. We’d also like to see mandatory front of pack labelling, that would help consumers to make more informed food choices.”
The call for regulatory change has been echoed by other industry figures, such as Nikita Sinclair from a children’s health charity. She asserts the need for a levy on the food and drinks sector to motivate recipe improvements and enhance the availability of nutritious, affordable options for families.
The House of Lords’ recommendations aim to compel meaningful changes within the food industry, which is vital for addressing persistent health inequalities and promoting well-being across the UK.
