Consumers share distrust in food companies

Almost three quarters (74%) of consumers believed food companies were not honest about the health impacts of their food, while a further 17% said they did not trust them to be honest. High levels of processing in food was the biggest concern for consumers (72%), followed by sugar and saturated fate levels in their food (61%) and salt levels (50%). Just 13% said they believed food companies would reduce unhealthy ingredients in food without government intervention. To that end, 68% said they would support an expansion of the Soft Drinks Industry Levy to other ‘unhealthy’ foods, if the money supported children’s food and health initiatives. Katharine Jenner, director of the Obesity Health Alliance, said: “ These new poll results confirm that the public does not trust the food and drink industry to put health before profit. ‘Manipulative tactics’ “Years of manipulative tactics have allowed them to avoid regulation, delay progress and disguised products as 'healthy,' hiding the sad reality that they’re packed with salt, sugar, and saturated fat. We’re now calling on our new government to turn words into action and deliver real change.” New polling data highlighting the British public’s ‘scepticism’ towards food companies’ commitment to health coincided with an open letter sent to the UK Government as part of the Recipe for Change campaign. Signed by food, health and children’s advocacy groups – including Sustain, the Food Foundation, the Obesity Health Alliance, British Heart Foundation, Bite Back, Diabetes UK and the Royal Society for Public Health – the collective call to action urged government to go ‘faster and further’ in accelerating financial incentives to create a healthier food industry. Food Foundation executive director and lead signatory to the letter Anna Taylor said: “The damage the food industry is doing to children’s health is the biggest threat to our nation’s wellbeing and future productivity and this needs to be reined in – urgently. ‘Must get bolder’ “The government must now get bolder, creating real incentives to force the industry to align with public health goals, further and faster.” While the group welcomed the government’s plans to update the Soft Drinks Industry Levy with inflation – as well as a review on current thresholds and whether pre-packed milk-based drinks should be exempt – it called for more decisive action to develop plans for the wider regulation of the food industry. John Maingay, director of policy and influencing at the British Heart Foundation, added: “ The Soft Drinks Industry Levy has shown us that effective and enforced measures like this work to incentivise manufacturers to make their products healthier. “The Government should now build on its success by extending a similar levy to foods containing too much salt and sugar. This will help to address stubbornly high rates of obesity, overweight, and cardiovascular disease across the UK.” The open letter tasked government with building on the success of the Soft Drinks Industry Levy do that it might better invest in children’s health.