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Calories to be cut by major food and drink companies March 2012

Calories to be cut by major food and drink companies

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There are calls for better labelling on food to help people consume fewer calories

Food and drink companies have promised to cut calories in their products to help tackle obesity in the UK.

The 17 firms, which include Coca-Cola, Subway and Tesco, have signed up to the government scheme.

The Department of Health says England has one of Europe's highest obesity rates and that consuming too many calories is the root of the problem.

Among ideas to help consumers will be resealable packaging on many chocolate bars, including Cadbury's Dairy Milk.

Under the new scheme, every chocolate bar made by Mars will have a cap of 250 calories, while the UK arm of Coca Cola says it will introduce a 30% reduction in some of its soft drinks by 2014.

“Start Quote

It is a great step in the right direction and will help millions of us eat and drink fewer calories”

End Quote Andrew Lansley Health Secretary

And some supermarkets, such as Asda, will develop a new low-calorie brand.

The "calorie reduction pledge" is part of the Public Health Responsibility Deal, developed by the Department of Health.

More than three-quarters of the retail market has signed up, Health Secretary Andrew Lansley said.

Marks & Spencer, Morrisons, Sainsbury's, Waitrose, Kerry Foods, Kraft, Mars, Nestle, PepsiCo, Premier Foods, Unilever, Beefeater (Whitbread) and contract caterer Compass have also signed up.

Mr Lansley said: "We all have a role to play - from individuals to public, private and non-governmental organisations - if we are going to cut five billion calories from our national diet.

"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 millions of us eat and drink fewer calories."

But Labour says the scheme is not the change needed in the nation's diet, favouring instead better food labelling and shielding children from adverts for junk food should be the starting point.

Terry Jones from the Food Manufacturers Federation said companies were committed to making changes.

"This is fundamental - and very costly, actually - reformulation activity to take calories out of products.

"So products that you and I buy today many of them... by 2013/2014 some businesses are talking of taking 30% of the calories out of some of those products."

'Part of the problem'

However, food companies came in for criticism from the Children's Food Campaign.

Campaign spokesman Charlie Powell said: "The food industry wants to be part of the solution but altogether refuses to admit that it's a big part of the problem.

"And it's to the government's disgrace that the food industry is actually helping to set government health policy. I think we should look at what's happening on the alcohol network and actually the government have decided that the way to go is actually to mandate companies in terms of their pricing.

"While they grapple with voluntary approaches, we'll see these weasel word pledges continue."

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Permalink Reply by Paul Murphy on March 26, 2012 at 1:51pm

However, food companies came in for criticism from the Children's Food Campaign.

Campaign spokesman Charlie Powell said: "The food industry wants to be part of the solution but altogether refuses to admit that it's a big part of the problem.

"While they grapple with voluntary approaches, we'll see these weasel word pledges continue."

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Permalink Reply by Paul Murphy on April 2, 2012 at 6:52pm

Food Firms say Obesity Epidemic NOT OUR FAULT.

UK obesity epidemic not our fault, say food firms

By Maxine Frith, Social Affairs Correspondent

Friday, 28 November 2003

The heads of McDonald's, Cadbury Schweppes and Pepsi said yesterday that their products were not to blame for Britain's obesity epidemic.

The heads of McDonald's, Cadbury Schweppes and Pepsi said yesterday that their products were not to blame for Britain's obesity epidemic.

The chief executives of the three companies claimed that heavy marketing of junk food, "super size" portions and offers of promotional toys had little effect on what most people ate.

Andrew Cosslett, the managing director of Cadbury Schweppes, said: "There is no correlation between confectionery consumption and obesity. All the evidence suggests that people eat our products extremely sensibly.

"The problem is that people are buying things that they think are low-fat, products that are masquerading as healthy with misleading labels." Mr Cosslett claimed that products such as low-fat yoghurts were more to blame for the rising rate of obesity than sweets. "There is nothing dangerous about a Curly Wurly," he said.

He and the heads of Britain's other leading food companies were giving evidence to the House of Commons Health Select Committee investigation into obesity.

The committee is considering whether to recommend a ban on television advertising of high-fat and sugary foods during children's viewing times, and the introduction of cigarette-style health warnings on junk food. One in five people in Britain is classed as overweight or obese and rates have tripled among children.

Campaigners say the aggressive marketing of sweets, crisps and soft drinks, using sporting heroes such as Gary Lineker for Walkers crisps and cartoon characters for McDonald's Happy Meals, encourages people to eat poor diets. Increased portion sizes, such as "go large" burger meals and extra large chocolate bars, have also been blamed.

But the heads of the three companies rejected these claims. Mr Cosslett said surveys by Cadbury Schweppes showed that obese people ate less confectionery than the general population.

Julian Hilton-Johnson, the vice-president of McDonald's in the UK, dismissed a suggestion that health warnings should be displayed on burgers, or that staff should deter obese customers from buying extra-large meals. "I don't think it is for us to presume to tell our customers what they should be eating," he said. Mr Hilton-Johnson claimed that super-size meals accounted for 3 per cent of McDonald's sales and that the company offered healthy salads, fruit with Happy Meals and organic, semi-skimmed milk.

Martin Glenn, president of PepsiCo UK, said: "We are confident from talking with our consumers that most parents understand they should be accountable for the healthy lifestyle of their children and thanks heavens most do."

All three heads insisted that advertising and promotions had not led to increased sales, but merely encouraged people to switch brands.

The Health Select Committee will publish its recommendations early next year.
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