Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of promoting adequate consumption of (a) calcium, (b) protein and (c) other key nutrients in the plans for a new Nutrient Profiling Model.

The current Nutrient Profiling Model (NPM) is over 20 years old and out of date. It does not reflect the latest evidence, particularly on free sugars, which are strongly correlated with poor health outcomes, like dental caries and weight gain that could lead to obesity.

The Government has committed to updating the standards behind the advertising and promotions restrictions on ‘less healthy’ food and drink by applying the new NPM.

Like the current NPM, NPM 2004/5, the new NPM, NPM 2018, uses a scoring system in which points are allocated for nutrients or ingredients within a food or drink per 100 grams. The model attempts to balance the contribution made by ‘beneficial’ nutrients, that is, protein, fibre, fruit, vegetables, nuts and seeds, to a child’s diet, alongside the ‘negative’ contributions from nutrients, that is, energy, saturated fat, free sugars and salt, of which children’s intakes are higher than recommended. The protein component of the model acts as a marker for nutrients such as calcium, iron, and n-3 polyunsaturated fats, and accounts for foods such as meat, fish, and dairy, and their contribution to intakes of these nutrients.

The review of the NPM was undertaken by an independent expert group to align with the latest Government dietary recommendations. The United Kingdom’s Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition updated their dietary recommendations on sugar and fibre in 2015 and are reflected in the Eatwell Guide. The new NPM has undergone rigorous scientific scrutiny and extensive consultation since its development.

Many dairy products can and do pass the new NPM, particularly those lower in free sugars and saturated fat and can provide healthier sources of calcium and protein within the diet.

We have launched a consultation on the proposed application of the new NPM to the advertising and promotions restrictions on less healthy food and drink products, which is open until 17 June. A consultation-stage impact assessment was published alongside the consultation. We will use the feedback and evidence from the consultation to inform final policy decisions and the final impact assessment which, subject to the outcome of the consultation, would be published ahead of any legislative changes being made.

We continue to engage regularly with stakeholders and other Government departments, including the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, as we develop these proposals.