Government responds to Lords' Report on Food, Diet and Obesity

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News Children's Food Campaign

Published: Thursday 30 January 2025

The Government response to the House of Lords' Select Committee report on Food, Diet and Obesity signposts to the food strategy and health mission rather than offering any concrete new commitments to addressing the broken food system. Sustain responds.

The Government has published its response to the House of Lords' report on food, diet and obesity 'Recipe for health: a plan to fix our broken food system', which had proposed a hard-hitting set of recommendations which had been widely welcomed by Sustain and a broad network of professional public health, food, children's and nutrition networks.

The official response acknowledges the importance of creating a coherent, cross-government strategy for healthier food and diets, but disappointingly largely defers any further policies to other governmental processes such as the cross-government health mission, the child poverty taskforce and the new food strategy.

Commenting on the Government's response, Children's Food Campaign Manager Barbara Crowther says:

"Whilst we welcome the Government's stated commitment to creating a healthier food environment, their response largely regurgitates what is already happening rather than expressing a hearty appetite for transformative new policy development. 

"We're particularly concerned that the response fails to acknowledge that there are in fact significant gaps in the regulation of products on the commercial infant feeding market, which are allowing high levels of free sugars as well as perpetuating very misleading marketing and labelling of products for babies and young children. We urge the Government to publish the revised commercial guidance it has already consulted upon, but also consider better regulation to protect and nourish babies and children from the earliest age."

"We do welcome continued commitments to ban energy drinks, explore all routes to increase value and access to Healthy Start, and keep exploring further incentives for healthier food. These  recommendations have been on the table for quite a long time, and so we encourage the Government to bring their proposals forward sooner rather than later."

On the Lords' Committee call for a salt and sugar reformulation tax, the Government admits that "industry needs to do more" but stops short of committing to action, instead saying it will consider the balance of voluntary and mandatory measures needed to bring about change. With voluntary reformulation targets set to expire in December 2025, the Recipe for Change coalition believes the Government must act now to accelerate progress. 

Recipe for Change campaign coordinator Kate Howard says:

We are disappointed the Government has failed to announce stronger action in response to the well-informed and practical recommendations laid out in the Lords’ report. This was a critical opportunity to show they were serious about improving the food we eat, preventing more ill health and holding the food industry to account.

Voluntary measures to reduce the unnecessarily high levels of sugar and salt in our food have not proven effective enough, yet today’s response lacks meaningful commitments to go further.

Where previous leaders have expressed regret not acting sooner to protect public health, this Government has a chance to do better. The upcoming Food Strategy must not be another missed chance – it needs to deliver bold change to ensure the food industry steps up and improves the food they sell us.

 

Sustain's Commercial Determinants Coordinator, Fran Bernhardt said:

The response is a real indictment of this government. It shows a total disregard for our children's health and to the formidable expertise across the food policy sector. 

Instead of acting on the phenomenally strong evidence, the Government has instead talked up former commitments. They failed to acknowledge the world-leading precedent set by more than 20 local leaders working with Sustain to champion children’s health by switching the spotlight from unhealthy food advertising across the country over the past six years. Peer-reviewed research found this policy led to a reduction of 1000 weekly household calories from unhealthy foods and drinks resulting in substantial reductions in food related ill health such as type 2 diabetes, heart disease and obesity. Consequently, almost 40% of UK local governments are now consulting with Sustain determined to do the same across their local area.

There are going to be many professionals in the food policy and public health sectors who do not feel listened to by the Government today. If this a sign of things to come under this administration, the UK's children are in for a rocky ride. But it’s not too late to turn this around: we urge the Government to follow the evidence and champion children’s health by bringing in a total restriction of unhealthy food advertising as soon as possible.

 

Responses from Sustain networks

Recipe for Change coalition

Obesity Health Alliance

 

Summary of what the Government response says on different issues:

On the future food strategy: "The food strategy will aim to ensure that the food system provides more easily accessible healthier food to reduce obesity, which will help give children the best start in life and help adults to live longer, healthier lives ... Both the health mission and the food strategy are major programmes of cross-government work. This work will take a co-ordinated and considered approach, informed by evidence and existing good practice, and achieved in partnership with devolved governments and local government. We are developing options and approaches over the coming months and will announce further information on both programmes soon."

On reformulation to create healthier food: "We continue to review incentives for reformulation, and consider the balance of mandatory and voluntary measures that we need in future to make further change."

On expanding further taxes or levies: "We also continue to keep all taxes under review. Decisions about the future development of taxes are made by the Chancellor of the Exchequer, in line with the government’s tax policy-making framework."

On mandatory targets for the health system: "We continue to review the implications of mandatory reduction and reformulation targets."

On the Food Data Transparency Partnership, and industry reporting on health of their products: "Work on the health workstream of FDTP paused for the general election. We are reviewing FDTP alongside other policy areas."

On energy drinks: "We have also committed to banning the sale of high-caffeine energy drinks to children under the age of 16 (that is, children aged 15 years and under)."

On advertising: "We have committed to restrict advertisements of less healthy food or drink products before 9pm on television, and all paid-for advertising of these products online across the UK from 1 October 2025 ... We will continue to review evidence of the impacts on children of advertising for less healthy food and drink products and will consider whether further action is needed."

On healthier high streets: "We agree that there is more to do to make the food environment healthier and work is underway to achieve that aim.... DHSC is also committed to a package of regulatory measures designed to create a healthier food and drink environment and support consumers to make healthier choices.... We will continue to assess the impact of this work programme and consider the evidence and case for change for going further where needed".

On Healthy Start: "We are exploring all viable routes to improve uptake of the Healthy Start scheme, including its value and eligibility."

On eligibility and funding of school meals: "As with all government programmes, we will keep our approach under continual review, including eligibility for free school meals. Now that DfE has been given its overall budget for 2025 to 2026, it is working to confirm the exact funding available to support children and young people eligible for free school meals and their families during the school holidays."

On auto-enrolment for school meals: "We are aware of a range of activity aimed at maximising uptake of free school meals. This includes a number of approaches being trialled by local authorities to support families who may be eligible for free meals, but are not claiming them. DfE welcomes local authorities taking action to ensure that government support reaches families, as long as these activities meet legal and data protection requirements."

On school meals standards: "DfE will keep its approach to school food under continued review." 

On school meal compliance monitoring: "DfE is continuing to work with FSA on next steps".

On early years commercial foods: "We have comprehensive regulations in place that set nutritional and compositional standards for commercial baby food. The regulations also set labelling and marketing standards to ensure consumers have clear and accurate information about the products they buy. We continue to keep these regulations under review to ensure they reflect the latest scientific and dietary guidelines."

On the Competition & Markets Authority review of infant and follow on formulas: "We will now carefully consider its options and work with the CMA as it develops its final recommendations for government early next year. This includes considering the concerns from the CMA about the cross-promotion of follow-on formula and infant formula and its impact on influencing the feeding choices of parents and carers. We will continue to review the evidence in this area for going further if needed."

On lack of statutory nutritional standards in nurseries and early years settings: "We are working with DfE to review guidance and to ensure it aligns with current government advice and recommendations on feeding infants and young children, including both nutritional and food safety aspects."

On front-of-pack nutritional labelling: "We will continue to review the evidence on front of pack nutrition labelling and consider with devolved governments whether further action is needed in the future."

On updating the Eatwell Guide: "DHSC will consider conducting consumer research to assess user needs and understanding of the Eatwell Guide. This will support DHSC’s longer term aim to improve the accessibility of the guidance which is needed to help all population groups put the government dietary guidelines into practice".

On limiting industry influence in policy making: "We have no plans to exclude food businesses or industry representatives based on the percentage of sales a business derives from less healthy products ... In creating the food strategy, we are working to build strong partnerships with the sector to draw on shared expertise and collective commitments, backed by a clear vision and framework for change from government.”

 

 

 

 


Children's Food Campaign: Better food and food teaching for children in schools, and protection of children from junk food marketing are the aims of Sustain's high-profile Children's Food Campaign. We also want clear food labelling that can be understood by everyone, including children.

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