Major UK food companies are urging the government for stricter rules to combat poor diets.
- Tesco, Iceland, and Nomad Foods call for mandatory profit reporting from unhealthy food sales.
- Proposals include legislation roadmaps to incentivise healthier eating habits.
- Industry leaders stress cohesive regulation across the entire food sector.
- Current government actions include a scheduled ban on pre-9pm junk food adverts.
Leading UK food retailers and investors have collectively called on the government to enforce more stringent regulations in the food industry to address unhealthy dietary habits. The organisations involved, including Tesco, Iceland, and Nomad Foods, have specifically advocated for mandatory reports detailing the percentage of profits derived from products high in fat, salt, and sugar, as reported by the Financial Times.
Additionally, these companies are requesting the government to develop legislative roadmaps aimed at fostering healthier dietary choices. Lauren Woodley, nutrition leader at Nomad Foods, which owns Birds Eye, highlighted the urgent nature of this issue by stating, “Clearly there is a childhood obesity crisis and it’s getting worse…We would welcome a raft of different reforms to incentivise healthier diets.”
Woodley further suggested that a thoughtfully designed tax on high-fat, salt, and sugar (HFSS) foods could serve as a governmental tool to influence consumer behaviour, although she cautioned that relying solely on taxation might not effectively drive change.
Oonagh Turnbull, Tesco’s head of health, commented on past governmental approaches, mentioning the “stop-start” nature of previous reforms, which has posed challenges for retailers. She emphasised the essential role of cohesive industry-wide regulations, asserting that the HFSS legislation had significantly driven changes in product reformulation.
These industry calls coincide with recent government declarations to implement a ban on junk food advertisements before 9pm, adding to the HFSS regulations introduced in 2022. These earlier regulations removed unhealthy products from prominent display locations, such as store entrances and checkout areas.
The collaboration among major food businesses underscores the need for unified action to enhance public health through improved dietary standards.
