FSA to tackle children's food
products to children is to be addressed by the UK's Food Standards
Agency. But will the latest government action plan - which is still
based on voluntary action - be any more effective than other,
earlier schemes which have, it appears, failed to make much of an
impression, asks Chris Jones.
The FSA this week agreed that action was required on the promotion of foods that are high in fat, sugar and salt if the balance of children's diets are to be improved - necessary in order to tackle problems such as childhood obesity.
This is no great revelation, of course - organisations such as the Food Commission have been calling for tougher action for years - and the FSA has already set recommendations for items such as salt content in kids' foods in the past. But as the Food Commission recently pointed out, many of these measures have failed to achieve the goal of improving nutritional intake.
For example, the FSA announced guidelines on maximum recommended salt intakes for children in May 2003, but a survey of 20 children's foods by the Food Commission carried out a year later showed that few products had reduced salt content - indeed, three quarters of the children's foods retained the same high salt levels.
So will the latest government action plan be any more effective? The FSA clearly believes so, though FSA chair Sir John Krebs recognised "that there are many players involved and a wide range of views. We will have to work constructively together if we want to improve the dietary health of our children".
In practical terms, 'working constructively' will see the Agency work with Education Departments to agree action to improve school meals, covering both the provision of healthy options and how best to promote uptake of these options. It will also see the publication of nutritional criteria for the food industry (including the food service sector) with the aim of reducing levels of fat, sugar and salt in foods, product ranges, and meals aimed specifically at children.
The Agency will also publish best practice advice on signposting of foods, meals or snacks high in salt, sugar or fat, and of healthier options.
In more detail, schools should be required to ensure that vending machines are managed on the basis of a health vending approach, which includes the promotion of healthier options. They should also provide and promote a range of healthy options at mealtimes and develop incentives to promote uptake of them in accordance with the Agency's guidelines.
The FSA also suggested that government departments and agencies should only endorse promotional campaigns that encourage children to eat healthier options, while the advertising regulator Ofcom was urged to take note of the FSA's view that action to address the imbalance in TV advertising of food to children was justified.
Action on relative amounts of advertising for foods, meals or snacks high in fat, sugar or salt and for healthier foods, and the times at which these adverts are scheduled, is likely to be the most effective option to address the imbalance, according to the FSA.
The Agency also suggested that food manufacturers, retailers and the food service sector should take up best practice advice on reducing the amounts of fat, sugar and salt in foods, product ranges and meals aimed specifically at children, and on the use of menu/notice signposting of meals high in fat, sugar or salt and of healthier children's choices.
For example, the FSA suggested that companies use promotions which encourage children to make or request repeat purchases (free gifts, token collecting, etc.) for healthier foods, or use celebrities, characters and cartoons to encourage children to eat healthier foods.
The FSA highlighted a number of initiatives already introduced by companies as a consequence of growing consumer concern about the nutritional quality of children's food. For example, BBC Worldwide announced in April that it would introduce nutritional criteria for any food products promoted using BBC children's characters such as the Teletubbies or Bob the Builder.
In May, Britain's leading food retailer Tesco announced a pilot scheme which would signpost levels of fat, saturated fat, sugar and salt on front of pack using traffic light colour coding to indicate high, medium and low levels, while the Co-op already gives high/medium/low information alongside each of the nutrients listed in the nutrition panel - both initiatives which show that signposting could be a practical option.
Even the much maligned fast food chain McDonalds was praised for its decision to spending £1 million on a series of advertisements for broadcast during children's television, encouraging physical activity and consumption of fruit and vegetables.
While the voluntary approach to tackling the nutritional quality of children's food remains unproven, the agency said that the measures taken by these organisations and others gave grounds for optimism.
The FSA has, at least, set out its own timetable for change, an indication that it is not prepared to let the matter rest. Action on improving food in schools will be agreed by the autumn, with guidelines on vending machine sales in schools and other publicly funded premises which children visit regularly (such as leisure centres) in place by December.
By March 2005 the Agency will publish nutritional criteria for use by food industry (including the food service sector), with best practice advice on signposting of foods, and on the use of nutrition and health claims on food aimed specifically at children, following in June 2005. By December 2005 the Agency will revise the guidelines on commercial sponsorship of educational materials.
Full details of the action plan can be found here.
