Regional Presence Unit

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Regional Presence Unit
Rob Howard Food Standards Agency
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AGENCY STRATEGIC PRIORITIES

• Eating for Health Making it easier for
  consumers to choose a healthy diet
• Choice enabling consumers to make informed
  choices
• Food safety reducing foodborne illness and
  contamination

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The obesity time bomb
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there are indications that the trend in obesity
prevalence may have begun to flatten out over the
last two to three years (NHS Information
Centre).
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How many people will die TODAY because of
something they ate ?

• Food additives 0
• Pesticide residues, hormones, GM 0
• Food allergies lt1
• Choking on food 0-1
• Food poisoning 1-2
• Cancer 140
• Cardiovascular disease 190
• 330
• But major concern issue for 30-40 consumers

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The Food and Health Case

• How many people will die TODAY because of
  something they ate ?
• Food additives 0
• Pesticide residues, hormones, GM 0
• Food allergies lt1
• Choking on food 0-1
• Food poisoning 1-2
• Cancer 140
• Cardiovascular disease 190
• 330
• But major concern issue for 30-40 consumers

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What can we do?

• increase peoples understanding about what they
  should be eating
• motivate people to make behaviour changes
• work with caterers and the manufacturing
  industry to provide people with the opportunity
  to make the healthy choice
• make healthier choices available and easier to
  choose

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Nutrition Strategy

• Key targets
• Reducing average salt intake from 9.5g to 6g per
  day
• Saturated Fat and Energy Intake Programme
• Developing and promoting a simple labelling
  system highlighting salt, fat sugar content

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Reducing Salt Intake

• Currently greatest food concern
• for UK consumers
• Target 6g daily intake
• would save 20,000 lives
• Average salt consumption has dropped from 9.5g to
  8.6g saving 3,500 lives annually
• Industry is reformulating product evidenced by
  self reporting, LA/other surveys
• UK salt sales fell 11 (2003-05)
• 43 consumers now check labels for salt levels
• Next steps new targets during May 09 new
  campaign early Oct 09

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Signpost Labelling
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Labelling UK companies that follow the Agencys
recommendations
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Signpost Labelling

• Independent evaluation draft being considered
• Consultation expected launched on 5th June
  (purdah)

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• Objectives
• Reduce the average intake of saturated fat (from
  age 5 years) from the level of 13.3 to 11 of
  food energy by 2010
• Develop and implement a strategy for calorie
  intakes, which contributes to achieving energy
  balance

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• mainstream product
• reformulation
• greater availability of
• healthy options
• smaller portion sizes
• consumer awareness

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Campaign Features

• TV advert
• Wider Media campaign
• Practical tips on reducing intake including
  checking labels
• Recipes
• Resources booklet, quiz, posters
• eatwell website
• Partnerships with NGOs, health professionals,
  local authorities and industry

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Top Tips
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Next steps

• Review early indication good
• Wider healthy eating messages
• Work with NGOs
• Work with industry recommendations for 3 groups
  (biscuits, cakes pastries/ chocolate
  confectionary / soft drinks)
• Promoting smaller portion sizes for 2nd two
• Calorie labelling in caterers 18 1st adopters

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Healthy Weight Healthy Lives

• 2 regional Project
• Reformulation project
• Take Away project

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Contact

• Rob Howard
• Regional Coordinator - East Midlands and Yorks
  Humberside
• Food Standards Agency
• GOEM
• The Belgrave Centre
• Talbot St
• Nottingham
• NG1 5GG
• Tel [phone]
• Mobile [phone]
• email rob.howard_at_foodstandards.gsi.gov.uk