Obesity

Buttriss examines micronutrient intake in the UK and its affect on the nation’s diet

OPINION

PHE data reveals falling micronutrient intakes

By Judy Buttriss

British Nutrition Foundation director general Professor Judy Buttriss discusses the decline of micronutrient intakes in the UK and its impact on dietary intake.

Three in four people believe restaurants should display calorie information on menus, says Diabetes UK

Improve nutrition labelling, restaurants told

By Noli Dinkovski

Restaurants, cafés and takeaways have been urged to help consumers adopt healthier eating, after it was revealed that more than three in five adults (61%) struggled to find information on the nutritional content of food out of the home.

The FDF accused the Government of using its consultation on food promotions to distract industry from the real issues surrounding Brexit

FDF slams restrictions on food and drink promotions

By Gwen Ridler

The Food and Drink Federation (FDF) has deemed the launch of the Government’s consultation on plans to restrict promotions of food and drink products high in fat, sugar and salt (HFSS) as “grossly insensitive” and a “monumental distraction”.

Swapping a higher-sugar breakfast cereal for a lower sugar variant is equal to 2.5 fewer cubes of sugar per bowl

Food firms back Change4Life sugar reduction drive

By Noli Dinkovski

Food manufacturers have pledged their support to a new Change4Life campaign that encourages parents to tackle childhood obesity by swapping sugary foods with healthier alternatives.

The Government is planning ‘realistic but ambitious goals’ to achieve further salt reduction

‘Mixed progress’ on salt reduction targets: PHE

By Noli Dinkovski

The food industry has achieved “mixed progress” in meeting the latest Government salt reduction targets, according to Public Health England’s (PHE’s) first assessment since the introduction of voluntary targets in 2006.

The British Soft Drinks Association said it was committed to supporting the responsible sale of energy drinks

Not enough evidence for energy drink ban: committee

By Noli Dinkovski

A ban on the sale of energy drinks to children could be justified on “societal concerns”, but not on statistical evidence alone, according to a Parliamentary Committee report.

HiE & Fi runs from 27–29 November at Messe Frankfurt

HiE & Ni preview

Consumer trust the focus at healthy ingredients show

By Noli Dinkovski

Growing consumer demand for trust and transparency in food is set to be the leading theme at next week’s Health Ingredients Europe (HiE) and Natural Ingredients (Ni) shows in Frankfurt.

Fortification can be a convenient way to help children consume the nutrients they might otherwise lack in their diets

CHILDREN’S HEALTH

Nutrition: fortifying the future

By Nick Hughes

With child obesity very much in focus, food manufacturers are not only looking at what they can take out of foods, but what nutrients and fortification they can put back in to optimise healthy eating.

The FDF welcomed the Government’s more targeted approach to tackling health and obesity

Trade body welcomes Government approach to health issues

By Gwen Ridler

The Food and Drink Federation (FDF) has welcomed the Government’s targeted approach to tackling health inequalities, covered in the policy paper published by the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC).

Industry bodies have questioned revisions to rules on food advertising aimed at children

Industry bodies query proposed food advertising changes

By Rick Pendrous

Food and drink industry groups have challenged several changes proposed under the revised Nutrient Profiling Model (NPM) used to control the advertising and promotion of ‘less healthy’ products to children.

Child obesity levels have hit a record high, according to a Public Health England report

Child obesity trends hit record high

By Aidan Fortune

Public Health England (PHE) is continuing to focus on calorie and sugar reduction as levels of severe obesity in children aged 10–11 have reached the highest point since records began.

Dr Adam Charlton (right): ‘We are targeting the potential of apple pomace to provide texture for food’

NEWS IN BRIEF

Apple pomace project aims to tackle child obesity

By Noli Dinkovski

An innovative way of tackling child obesity by replacing high-calorie ingredients with apple pomace has won financial backing from the Welsh Government and Innovate UK.

Roy Ballam, BNF: ‘A lack of reliable information on healthy eating is a huge cause for concern’

Conflicting nutrition advice confuses consumers

By Noli Dinkovski

Conflicting media messages and guidance over food choices is making it difficult for UK consumers to find reliable information on healthy eating, a survey has found.

McMahon: ‘We aim to provide a formula as naturally close to breastmilk as possible’

McMahon: ‘conspiracy of silence’ over baby feeding

By Noli Dinkovski

Correct feeding from birth should be subject to a full government inquiry as part of its drive to tackle child obesity, the boss of the UK’s only producer of infant feed formula has claimed.

Manufacturers must now pay at least 18p extra per unit for soft drinks containing 5g or more of added sugar

MPs back sugar tax hike as obesity plan unfolds

By Rod Addy

Political appetite to increase ‘sugar tax’ on soft drinks and extend the levy to other products is growing, a Populus survey seen exclusively by Food Manufacture has revealed.

The impact of the Soft Drinks Industry Levy may have far reaching consequences

sugar tax

Sugar tax fallout: is the industry ready?

By Aidan Fortune

With the Soft Drinks Industry Levy coming into effect today, manufacturers have been forced to either reformulate their products or face paying tax on drinks with a higher sugar content.

Food in focus: burgers and potato products are listed among the target categories

Food firms urged to act as calorie reduction target set

By Noli Dinkovski

Food manufacturers are being urged to start reformulating “everyday” products without delay after Public Health England (PHE) set a 20% calorie reduction target in food consumed across 13 product categories by 2024.

Scotland is still facing an obesity crisis

Scotland still facing obesity challenge

By Michelle Perrett

Two out of three adults and almost a third of children living in Scotland remain overweight or obese, Food Standards Scotland (FSS) has claimed.

While advertising had a big influence, there were other more important factors at play: Hilary Ross

TV ad ban would be a ‘sticking plaster’

By Noli Dinkovski

Focusing on advertising alone in the battle against obesity would act as a “sticking plaster”, a leading lawyer has claimed, following the publication of a new report from Cancer Research, which found teenagers who watch more than three hours of TV a...

Professor Buttriss: ‘Concern has existed about the risk for people with undiagnosed kidney disease’

OPINION

Why potassium benefits outweigh the risks

By Judy Buttriss

Recommendations from government advisors on the use of potassium salts in place of sodium chloride (salt) was published in November.

Maltodrextrin has a significant impact on a person’s metabolism, Speleers claims

High-GI sugar alternatives are ‘misleading’ consumers

By Noli Dinkovski

The approach by some food and drink manufacturers to replace sugar with high-glycaemic alternatives is “borderline misleading” to consumers, the director of a global ingredients company has claimed.

Potassium report: the potential benefits ‘outweigh’ the risks

Potassium report welcomed by salt lobby group

By Noli Dinkovski

A report that concluded using potassium-based salt replacers instead of sodium in food would have a positive impact on public health has been welcomed by lobby group Consensus Action on Salt and Health (CASH).

Current nutrition labelling gives ‘confusing messages’, claims Phil Dalton

Food labelling should reflect health policy: consultant

By Noli Dinkovski

Food labelling legislation needs to change if public health messages about salt, sugar and calories are going to be truly understood by consumers at the retail aisle, a consultant in the field has claimed.

There has been a ‘redefinition’ of portion sizes, says Mars director Rob Verhagen

FiE 2017

Halt portion-size ‘super-inflation’ to curb obesity

By Noli Dinkovski

Food and drink manufacturers need to halt the “super-inflation” of portion sizes if the global obesity epidemic is to be addressed, a senior innovation director at confectionery giant Mars has claimed.

Ice cream, breakfast cereals and biscuits are among the products targeted

PHE calls for more sugar reduction

By Paul Gander

Despite a positive overall picture and a “fabulous response” from some leading brands to its 20% cross-category sugar reduction target for 2020, Public Health England (PHE) has suggested that some categories are making more progress than others.

Disease associated with obesity costs the NHS about £11bn a year, said Susan Jebb

Smartphone app to help switch to healthier foods

By Rick Pendrous

People who are overweight and identified as being at higher risk of cardiovascular disease could soon have access to a smartphone app that provides them with advice about swapping to healthier foods, thanks to a collaborative research project involving...

Professor Buttriss: ‘A diet rich in fibre, fruit and vegetables is linked with lower risk of diseases’

OPINION

A healthy diet: why the sum is greater than the parts

By Judy Buttriss

Aspects of diet are often considered in isolation. However, this risks overlooking the likelihood that nutrients and other food components interact, either in the food matrix itself or when the food or meal has been consumed.

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