Firms sign up to healthy living plan

---

Leading British companies, including seven of the biggest food retailers, have signed up to a government 'deal' on public health.

Set out under the "responsibility deal", the series of measures to encourage healthy eating include listing calorie counts on menus and more labelling of units in alcoholic drinks.

Around 170 organisations have signed up to the public health deal, which aims to improve public health and tackle health inequalities through their influence over food, alcohol, physical activity and health in the workplace.

On Monday, health secretary Andrew Lansley came under fire after six groups pulled out due to concerns that the deal would not reduce the harm caused by alcohol.

Just three health groups have signed up.

Alcohol Concern said it is "the worst possible deal for everyone who wants to see alcohol harm reduced".

The British Heart Foundation, a member of the panel looking at behaviour change, food, health at work, and physical activity, are yet to sign up to the deal.

Peter Hollins, BHF chief executive said: "We hope to be able to sign up to the deal once further progress is made developing a robust monitoring system for the pledges.

"There also needs to be more clarity about the timetable for reviewing progress and taking regulatory action if results aren't achieved."

However, Asda, Marks & Spencer, Morrisons, Sainsbury's, Tesco, The Co-operative and Waitrose have all signed up to the deal.

McDonald's said it would display calories on boards in its 1,200 nationwide restaurants from September.

Lansley hopes the new responsibility deal will improve public health while avoiding regulation for food companies and the alcohol industry.

"The deals published today demonstrate the effectiveness of our radical partnership approach to deliver more and sooner," said the health secretary.

"And it is only the first step.

"While I'm pleased with the progress we have achieved in seven months and that over 170 organisations have already signed up as partners, we want more organisations to sign up, and also to work with us to develop further collective and individual pledges.

"These deals will work alongside the department's broader plans to take a bold new approach to public health.

"Public Health England will give local people the money and the power to improve our nation's health. The money will be ringfenced to be used as it should be — for preventing ill health."

Andrew Opie, food director at the British Retail Consortium, said the deal was a "significant development bringing together industry, the government and campaign groups".

He said: "Customers make the final decision about what goes in their baskets but retailers do a lot to help shoppers look after their own and their families' health.

"It's pointless retailers taking salt out of their products if families just add it themselves when they sit down to eat, for example."

Paul Sacher, the co-founder of MEND, the leading provider of free healthy lifestyle programmes for families, said: "This isn't about taking the fun out of eating, it's about giving consumers the power to make food choices that are based on fact rather than assumption.

"It's heartening to see so many companies pledging to reduce salt, sugars and unhealthy fats in their products and be more transparent about the calories in their food."

The Advertising Association chief executive Tim Lefroy said: "This is a government that thinks we will get further, faster by working together rather than imposing the heavy hand of regulation. We agree, which is why we have signed the deal and will be supporting its delivery through our members and our networks."

Article Comments