As part of the Government’s Plan for Change, food retailers and manufacturers will report on so called healthy food sales to “tackle obesity”.
The policy, which will require all big food businesses to report on healthy food sales will, according to Government, set “full transparency and accountability” around the food that businesses are selling and encourage healthier products.
Government then proposes to set targets to increase the ‘healthiness’ of sales in communities across the UK and work with the Food Strategy Advisory Board on the sequencing of this policy.
Businesses will be asked to meet healthier shopping basket targets by reformulating products, tweaking recipes, changing shop layouts, offering discounts or changing loyalty schemes to promote healthier options.
The changes are part of the Government’s 10 Year Health Plan, due to be published shortly. The plan will aim to “radically reform” the health service and improve the health of the nation, to make the NHS “sustainable and fit for the future”.
“Tackling obesity”
Health and Social Care Secretary Wes Streeting commented: “Obesity has doubled since the 1990s and costs our NHS £11 billion a year, triple the budget for ambulance services. Unless we curb the rising tide of cost and demand, the NHS risks becoming unsustainable.”
Environment Secretary Steve Reed said: “Britain has some of the best farmers, growers, food manufacturers and retailers in the world, which means we have more choice than ever before on our shelves.
“Our food strategy will bring together the health plan, food producers and retailers to make sure we can feed the nation more healthily while growing the economic success of our food sector.”
Speaking to Sky News’ Sunday Morning With Trevor Phillips, Shadow Work and Pensions Secretary MP Helen Whately voiced : “They’ve had 14 years in opposition to think about what they wanted to do about the NHS.
“They’ve had a year in Government, and the number one thing in it seems to be hide the crisps.
“Telling people what to buy, I think, is not up to Government. I believe in personal responsibility.”
“Retailers have led the way in helping customers make healthier choices.”
A Food and Drink Federation (FDF) spokesperson said: “Food and drink manufacturers take the issue of obesity and poor diets very seriously and have made significant progress over the past decade to support healthier diets.
“In 2024 alone, businesses invested £180 million in R&D to develop healthier products. As a result, FDF members’ products now have 31% less salt, 30% less sugar and 24% fewer calories, compared to a decade ago.
“We know that bold and coordinated action is needed to support the nation’s health and welcome the Government’s plans to introduce mandatory reporting of healthier food sales across the whole food system. We look forward to working in partnership with Government to build a healthier future, ensuring that there’s a stable regulatory environment to give businesses the confidence to continue investing in developing healthier options for shoppers.”
Andrew Opie, director of Food and Sustainability at the British Retail Consortium (BRC), commented: “Retailers have led the way in helping customers make healthier choices. We are really pleased that the Government has not only acknowledged this but has also brought forward a long-term strategy across all food businesses to build on our progress.
“We look forward to working with the Government on delivering a plan which should make a difference in helping everyone make better choices around calorie consumption wherever they buy their food.”
Retailers call for mandatory health reporting
Tesco CEO Ken Murphy stated: “All food businesses have a critical part to play in providing good quality, affordable and healthy food. At Tesco, we have measured and published our own healthier food sales for a number of years now – we believe it is key to more evidence-led policy and better-targeted health interventions.
“That’s why we have called for mandatory reporting for all supermarkets and major food businesses and why we welcome the Government’s announcement on this. We look forward to working with them on the detail of the Healthy Food Standard and its implementation by all relevant food businesses.”
Simon Roberts, CEO of Sainsbury’s commented: “We’re passionate about making good food joyful, accessible and affordable for everyone and have been championing the need for mandatory health reporting, across the food industry for many years.
“Today’s announcement from Government is an important and positive step forward in helping the nation to eat well. We need a level playing field across the entirety of our food sector for these actions to have a real and lasting impact.
“We look forward to working across Government and our wider industry on the further development of these policies and in helping to drive improved health outcomes across our nation.”
Katharine Jenner, director of the Obesity Health Alliance, said: “This is a fair and evidence-based prescription for better health; big businesses urgently need the Government to level the playing field to help them focus on selling products that help people live well.
“The Government has rightly identified the root cause of obesity-related ill health: a food system that makes healthy eating difficult. Crucially, it puts the spotlight on the food industry and commits to holding it accountable for providing healthier options – rather than placing the burden on individuals who are already struggling to get by.”
Henry Dimbleby, author of the National Food Strategy and Independent Review for Government, said: “What gets measured gets done. Mandatory reporting is a crucial first step in improving the food environment – it creates a level playing field, rewards the businesses already acting, and gives us a clear picture of what’s really being sold.
“It’s fantastic to see food retailers themselves calling for this. With proper data, we can start to reshape the food system and make healthier choices easier for everyone.”
A Nomad Foods spokesperson commented: “We welcome today’s move by the UK Government requiring all food businesses to report on the sales of healthier products. We have voluntarily disclosed the proportion of our annual sales from healthy products since 2017 and as members of the Food Data Transparency Partnership have supported and publicly called for this action.
“We believe that industry-wide reporting would increase healthy innovation and reformulation, driving the sale and consumption of tasty, nutritious food, unlocking a healthier UK food system.”
Improving food education
Nick Allen, CEO of the British Meat Processors Association (BMPA), stated: “Given the obesity crisis in the UK, any measures that seek to improve the diets of British consumers has to be considered and should have a balanced diet of fresh, whole foods at the centre. However, evidence would suggest that funding and efforts should also be directed at improving how children are educated about food in schools.
“We hear reports of children entering education with little or no understanding of food basics and not being able to recognise certain vegetables or understand where food comes from. Preparing and cooking fresh food from scratch is also a skill that’s being increasingly lost as families rely more on packaged, pre-prepared food, and cooking is taught less in schools. Re-gaining that knowledge and connection with the food we eat from an early age would go a long way to improving our diet and health outcomes.”
A spokesperson for the Association of Independent Meat Suppliers (AIMS) said: “The manifesto under which the Labour Party won last year’s election said, ‘We will reduce food prices by removing barriers to businesses trading‘ and yet this DHSC prescription for the UK’s world leading food industry appears to be a policy that will increase food prices as a result of the cost of implementing the new standard.
“Surely the large businesses, supermarkets and the businesses that supply them already have to conform to a myriad of standards without being told by Government what hard working consumers place in their shopping baskets in an attempt to make ‘the goods sold slightly healthier’.“
AIMS went on to advise consumers to purchase more fresh vegetables, meat and poultry as well as salad ingredients, while reducing spend on other supermarket categories.
