§ Dr. KumarTo ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what has been done to address the 2001 Food Commission report concerning high levels of sugar, salt and saturated fat in food marketed at children; [111765]
(2) what measures are being taken to work with food retailers and manufacturers to raise consumer awareness of (a) healthy eating regimes and (b) the contents and properties of pre-packaged food items. [111696]
§ Ms BlearsThe Department of Health and the Food Standards Agency (FSA) are engaged with stakeholders in a wide range of activities aimed at promoting a healthy balanced diet as outlined in the NHS Plan and the FSA's nutrition action plan. This includes discussions with food industry organisations about their health promotion activity and reducing salt levels in processed food; work on sugars and fat will follow through in 2003–04.
The five-a-day logo was launched on 25 March 2003, as part of the five-a-day programme aimed at raising public awareness of the health benefits of eating at least five portions of a variety of fruit and vegetables a day.
The FSA recommends that manufacturers provide full nutrition labelling on all pre-packaged foods to aid consumer choice on healthy eating and is pressing for changes to the current European Union rules to make this a legal requirement.