Sustain welcomes landmark report from the House of Lords select committee on food, diet and obesity which contains recommendations for a co-ordinated cross-governmental approach to a healthy and sustainable food system.
Sustain, the alliance for better food and farming strongly welcomes this landmark report from the House of Lords select committee on food, diet and obesity which contains a healthy feast of recommendations.
Central to the report is the need for a clear, co-ordinated cross-governmental approach to a healthy and sustainable food system, delivered by a comprehensive new food strategy and connected interventions that are backed by smart regulation, proper oversight and aligned financial incentives for the food and drink industry.
Barbara Crowther, Children’s Food Campaign co-ordinator at Sustain says:
“The government has committed to the healthiest generation of children, but the Lords’ report is absolutely clear that fundamental change is needed in how our national food system is currently operating, so that every child can access healthy, nutritious food. A vision of healthy school food for all, and a progressive end to means-testing of children in what is meant to be a free education system could be a game-changing move for this government driving better health, emotional and physical wellbeing and educational achievement. 7 in 10 parents say it’s getting harder not easier to ensure children are eating healthily. We’re delighted the Lords have reflected many calls to action in our parents’ manifesto, from expanding access to Healthy Start to tackling all the misleading health claims, labelling and packaging with child-friendly characters on so many products aimed at young children.”
Kate Howard, campaign co-ordinator for the Recipe for Change coalition, which brings together 46 health, food and children’s organisations calling for further levies on unhealthy food, says:
“We strongly welcome the Lords’ committee recommendation to shift the financial incentives for the food industry and accelerate progress towards more healthy products. The report reflects Recipe for Change’s own modelling showing that an industry salt and sugar reformulation tax could prevent up to 2 million cases of chronic disease, including diabetes, cardio-vascular disease and some cases of cancer over the next 25 years. Public opinion is very clear in wanting the government to intervene with the food industry, including taxing manufacturers of unhealthy food and drink, especially if revenues from these levies are then also used to invest in children’s health and increase access to healthy food like fruit and vegetables for those on the lowest incomes. We’ve seen this work incredibly well with the Soft Drinks Industry Levy already, it’s time to build on that success and go further to create a level playing field for a healthier food industry.”
Fran Bernhardt, Commercial Determinants co-ordinator at Sustain, who gave evidence to the Lords’ committee drawing on work to implement healthier food advertising policies with Transport for London and many local authorities, says:
“We’re delighted this landmark report champions children’s health by urging the government to switch the spotlight away from unhealthy foods and drinks across all advertising. Ultimately we know advertising works – the more we set the stage for unhealthy foods and drinks, the higher our risk of food related ill health like cancers, heart disease and type two diabetes. Advertising policies are successfully putting healthier food centre stage and the time for our government to act is now.”
Read more about the Lords' full report here
More responses from Sustain members
Katharine Jenner, director of the Obesity Health Alliance, says:
"The Government must take forward the insightful and well-considered recommendations made by this cross-party House of Lords report if it is going to address the dire situation facing the NHS as laid out in the recent Darzi Review.
“This report reveals the lengths to which food and drink companies have gone to avoid regulation, putting profits before public health. However, if the proposed recommendations are enacted, unhealthy food companies will no longer be able to hide behind misleading labels, advertise unhealthy foods, or have a seat at the table designing policy.
“By taking forward these recommendations, it will create a fairer marketplace by rewarding companies that have invested in healthier products and punish those lagging. Moreover, the proposed new levy on manufacturers will generate vital revenue to make healthy food more affordable for everyone. This isn't just a plan for better health – it’s a recipe to change our broken food system and deliver the vital changes necessary to create the healthiest generation of children ever."
Rob Percival, Head of Food Policy at the Soil Association says:
“This a substantive and impressive piece of work. We welcome in particular the report’s emphasis on the benefits of whole and minimally processed foods. The UK has one of the most ultra-processed diets in Europe, and the Committee rightly recommends that government should act to increase consumption of fresh and unprocessed foods, harnessing the energy of the UPF debate to drive progress on HFSS and healthier food environments.”
Anna Taylor, executive director of the Food Foundation says:
"This brilliant report rightly states that supporting people in Britain to eat well is the single most important priority for the prevention of ill health.
"Everything else dwarfs into insignificance when you look at the evidence. The Committee has done just what the government needs and set out a set of affordable and feasible recommendations.
"Their three big areas for action are first a systematic regulatory crackdown on businesses which continue to relentlessly push low nutrient foods which are loaded with calories; second a raft of measures which government can introduce to support children to get the good nutrition they need to grow; and third the steps needed to ensure that good policies can be developed into the future, and progress can be monitored – including a new law which sets out our expectations of the food system to protect the nation’s health.
"All can be initiated in the next five years and I hope that the Prime Minister takes this list and makes it his personal priority."
Dr. Kawther Hashem, Head of Research and Impact at Action on Sugar, says:
"This new report highlights the crucial need for policies that significantly improve what, where and how we eat and drink. A ban on advertising less healthy food across all media by the end of this parliament is especially significant, as evidence shows it can strongly influence children's eating habits from an early age, promoting unhealthy options.
Additionally, the introduction of a salt and sugar reformulation tax for food manufacturers, inspired by the success of the soft drinks industry levy (SDIL), is essential, given that voluntary sugar and salt reduction programmes have proven less effective. Without financial pressure, food companies have little incentive to improve their products.
"Unquestionably, unhealthy food high in salt, sugar, and fat, with insufficient fruit, vegetables, and fibre, is a leading cause of death globally. We urgently need a food environment that prioritises making healthier options more accessible, available, and affordable for all."
Nikita Sinclair, co-director of the Children’s Health and Food programme at Impact on Urban Health says:
“Today’s House of Lords report reaffirms: the places where our children and young people shop, play and go to school are currently flooded with unhealthy food. Those from the most deprived areas are most affected by a lack of healthy, affordable options where they live.
We urge the Government to go further than reviewing the eligibility for free school meals – action is required to ensure all children have the opportunity to learn and thrive, now and in the long term.
We support the introduction of a levy on the food and drink industry, to encourage companies to improve their recipes and help increase the flow of healthy, affordable products available to children and families. We further encourage the Government to consider in the round how our food is produced, marketed and sold. Bringing together actors from across the food system is the best way to tackle entrenched health inequalities and deliver change at the scale that’s required to fix our broken food system.
We look forward to the Government’s response to these recommendations.”
Dr Vicky Sibson, Director of the First Steps Nutrition Trust says:
"We strongly agree with its findings and recommendations aimed at Government and the food industry, especially those seeking to better enable babies and young children to eat well from the start of life. It is only through intervening in the early years that reductions in the UK’s high levels of overweight and obesity will be achieved and sustained. If the Government are serious about their pledge to create the healthiest and happiest generation of children ever, they need to prioritise acting on the inquiry’s recommendations urgently, especially those focused on babies and their families."
Kate Oldridge-Turner, Head of Policy and Public Affairs at the World Cancer Research Fund says:
We strongly urge the Government to take forward these recommendations given the state of the nation’s diet and the impact on our health. The UK’s national diet is high in saturated fat and sugars, which leads to obesity, a risk factor for 13 types of cancer. The report correctly highlights the gravity of this challenge in both its analysis and recommendations.
Many of the Committee's recommendations are reflected in our own evidence. For example, we welcome the Committee’s recommendations around mandatory measures and targets to improve the nutritional quality of our food, as well as calls to restrict the exposure to junk food advertising and address misleading marketing, especially of infant and children’s foods. Steps to curb industry involvement and influence in policymaking processes are particularly welcome to avoid regulations being watered down.
The call on government to support additional research on ultra-processed foods and why they are impacting our health is also important, and will bolster the evidence base that organisations like World Cancer Research Fund are already investing in.
For too long, our health has been impacted by an abundance of poor-quality foods, leaving too many at risk of developing preventable cancers. It is time for the government to make good on its commitment to prevention and take forward these recommendations in this cross-party report.
Jonathan Pauling, chief executive of Alexandra Rose Charity says:
"We welcome the recommendations of the Food, Diet and Obesity Committee’s inquiry and are particularly pleased by the urgent call for Government action to make healthy food more affordable and accessible. At Alexandra Rose Charity, we have spent the last decade helping families on low incomes access fresh fruit and veg in their communities, and see firsthand the transformative impact this has on their health and wellbeing.
We were thrilled to host the Committee at our Fruit & Veg on Prescription project at the Bromley By Bow Centre during the inquiry, and are delighted that our work is highlighted in their report. The findings clearly underscore the importance of addressing food affordability and building a food system that supports health, rather than undermines it.
By implementing these recommendations, the Government has a real opportunity to create lasting change—ensuring that healthier food options, particularly fresh fruit and veg, are not only available but affordable to all".
Houses of Parliament, UK. Credit: ZGPhotography | shutterstock
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.
