Fatty salads in the dock

The new front of pack nutrition labelling formats being introduced on many processed foods on sale in supermarkets will probably have more impact on eating habits than any government health initiatives.

However, while doing a supermarket sweep of 'healthy' salads for market analysis, I was shocked to find that some 'snack salads' sold in the lunchtime sandwich fridge still contain over 50% of the recommended daily fat intake. Many consumers have been choosing this option in preference to an 'unhealthy' sandwich and few are aware that most mayonnaise contains more fat than clotted cream!

Manufacturers should have foreseen the impact that greater nutritional awareness would have on food choice. I am not suggesting that they should shun the use of full fat mayonnaise altogether, but some have failed to consider alternatives.

I was also concerned to see that a single portion ready meal of premium sausage and mash contained almost two-thirds of my daily fat allowance and well over half my energy allowance; needless to say it stayed on the supermarket shelf. A meal that has this nutritional content is, in my opinion, immoral. As consumers take more notice of new nutritional labelling, their meal choice will change and developers need to rise to this challenge.

So many food developers create single portion meals with scant regard for nutritional content. I appreciate that sausage and mash is not the healthiest option, but it is quite possible to develop a premium product that delivers without breaking the nutritional bank.

A good example of intelligent ready meal development is the Sainsbury's Super Naturals range that was recently launched and, in my view, is at the forefront of where food developers should be. The range delivers on flavour and provides a healthy meal with at least one portion of the government's five a day target of fruit or vegetables.

Celia Wright is a food development consultant and interim manager at Cheftech​