Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will stake steps to work with food producers to reduce (a) fat, (b) sugar and (c) salt in processed foods.

The Government is committed to tackling obesity and creating the healthiest generation of children in our history, as a core part of our Health Mission. This means taking action to ensure healthy choices are the easy choice, reducing the consumption of the least healthy foods, making everyday food healthier, and promoting healthier eating.

As suppliers of what we eat and drink, the food industry has a key role to play in supporting the health of the nation. Some action has already been taken under the voluntary reduction and reformulation programme which requires businesses in all sectors, including retailers, manufacturers, and the eating out of home sector, to reduce the level of salt, sugar, and calories in the everyday foods we buy. The broad remit of the programme ensures that many of the processed foods we eat are in scope, including cakes, biscuits, confectionary, pizzas, crisps, sandwiches, and ready meals.

Reports that demonstrate the progress made by businesses are published on GOV.UK website. These reports show that salt reductions of up to 20% have been made in some products, and that levels of sugar have gone down in all products included in the programme, with the largest reductions of approximately 15% and 13% seen in breakfast cereals, and yogurts and fromage frais, respectively. For calorie reduction, the first progress report showed generally little change in calorie levels across all sectors and categories. It is clear that more needs to be done, and further action to tackle childhood obesity under the Government’s Health Mission will be set out in due course.