Date Published:
5 February 2008 |
FSA unveils first steps of saturated fat and energy intake programme (UK)
The Food Standards Agency is today unveiling the range of activity
it plans to take to help people in the UK reduce the amount of saturated
fat they eat.
The diet of the average British adult contains too much saturated fat, added
sugar and salt. Since 2004 the Agency has been working with industry to reformulate
foods to reduce the amount of salt they contain, along with communicating the
health impacts of a high-salt diet directly to consumers. It is now extending
that focus to saturated fat and the balance of calories that we need.
Intakes of saturated fat in UK diets are around 20% higher than official Government
recommendations. Eating too much saturated fat and a diet consisting of too
many calories, compared to the energy we burn off through activity, can be
a significant risk factor in developing a range of serious illnesses. Diet-related
illnesses can include cardiovascular disease, diabetes, some cancers and obesity.
It is estimated that cutting our intake to meet Government recommendations
could help to prevent up to 3,500 deaths a year.
The programme of activity being published by the FSA today highlights how
developing and building on positive and collaborative partnerships with industry,
along with consumer awareness activity, could help reduce population intakes
of saturated fat from 13.3% to below 11% of food energy.
This planned activity outlines the steps that can be taken to tackle the amount
of saturated fat and added sugar to foods, while also taking account of the
more complex and technical issues around reformulation. Reducing the amount
of saturated fat in some foods presents a more complex challenge than removing
salt.
This programme outlines future work in the following areas:
- building on partnerships with the food industry to:
- encourage further voluntary reformulation of specific food groups
to reduce the amount of saturated fat and added sugar they contain
- increase the ranges of healthier options and step up the promotion
of healthier products to consumers
- make smaller portion sizes more readily available
- publish food industry commitments to reformulate
- increasing consumer
awareness activity to raise the profile of saturated fat as part of
our overall efforts to encourage people to choose
a healthy diet
- holding an independent academic workshop to examine evidence on portion
sizes, chaired by Dr Susan Jebb - Head of Nutrition and Health
Research at the Medical
Research Council.
The steps outlined in this programme tie in with the Department of Health's
Healthy Lives, Healthy Weight, and the Healthy Food Code of Good Practice
outlined within the report.
Rosemary Hignett, Head of Nutrition at the Food Standards Agency, said:
" Reducing
our intakes of saturated fat is a major challenge but would have clear important
health benefits. To help us choose a balanced diet, we need practical information
about foods and access to a range of healthier choices.
The Agency is committed to doing what it can to encourage everyone to eat
a balanced diet, which includes eating less saturated fat. We aim to work with
industry on reducing saturated fat and added sugar levels in foods, reducing
portion sizes and providing clear information to consumers, including honest
nutrition information on labels. "
The Agency is currently exploring which activities are most effective in improving
consumer awareness and therefore helping meet its commitments to reduce saturated
fat intakes.
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