Government efforts to improve public health through mandatory healthy food sales reporting should take into account different categories and occasions, suppliers and trade bosses have urged.
Health chiefs last week announced a 10-year plan to improve the health of the nation and ease the burden on the NHS. The government said that if everyone who is overweight reduced their calorie intake by 216 calories a day, equivalent to a bottle of fizzy drink, obesity would be halved.
As part of the new plan, food retailers and manufacturers are being set a standard designed to make the average shopping basket of goods sold ‘slightly healthier’.
The government has said businesses can meet that standard in whichever way works for them, whether reformulating products, changing shop layouts, offering discounts on healthy foods, or changing loyalty schemes to promote healthier options.
As reported by British Baker’s sister title The Grocer, this will mean the current ban on promoting products high in fat, sugar or salt will be scrapped. It is expected that a ban on multibuy deals, which has not yet come into force, will also be axed.
However, while being given such freedoms, all large food businesses will have to report on healthy food sales in a move that aims to set ‘full transparency and accountability around the food that businesses are selling and encourage healthier products’.
Many food businesses have pointed out that they have already taken proactive steps to offer healthier foods. According to the FDF, businesses spent £180m on R&D in 2024 to develop healthier products. It added that FDF members’ products now have 31% less salt, 30% less sugar and 24% fewer calories, compared to a decade ago.
Finsbury Food Group, which produces a wide range of savoury and sweet baked goods including many licensed cakes, said it supported the government’s ambition to improve public health.
“But we would urge that any future measures – particularly those based on sales data – take into account the nuances across different categories and eating occasions,” added Finsbury brand and marketing head Daryl Newlands. “Collaboration and clarity will be essential to ensure workable, meaningful change for both consumers and the food industry.”
Kate Nicholls, chair of trade body UKHospitality, has also called for clarity on the new measures.
“Enforcing blunt and ill-suited measures upon business will not deliver genuine change but will instead add further red tape and cost,” she said.
“It’s also important to remember that hospitality is a place for special occasion, and where many people gather for a treat. These instances aren’t a daily occurrence and likely to be a treat every few weeks or months.”
The government said many retailers want to do more to make the average shopping basket healthier but have been wary because of the financial risk. It claimed its new strategy introduced a level playing field.
“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,” said environment secretary Steve Reed. “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.”
Mandatory reporting is a crucial first step in improving the food environment, according to Henry Dimbleby, who wrote a government-commissioned independent review of the food industry.
“It creates a level playing field, rewards the businesses already acting and gives us a clear picture of what’s really being sold,” he added.
Tesco, which has previously called for mandatory reporting by supermarkets and major food businesses, welcomed the government’s announcement.
“All food businesses have a critical part to play in providing good-quality, affordable and healthy food,” added Tesco Group CEO Ken Murphy.
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