Fruit and vegetables at heart of obesity strategy in UK

According to the Fresh Produce Consortium (FPC), the Health and Social Care Committee of the British parliament published a wide-ranging report urging the government to prioritize obesity prevention and reshape the food environment to make healthier choices easier, while standing up to lobbying from the food and drink industry.

Greater retail prominence

The Committee is calling for an update to the English Food (Promotion and Placement) Regulations 2021 by January 2027 to require retailers to place fruit and vegetables in “prominent in-store locations”, including store entrances and checkouts. The recommendation follows evidence from the Centre for Food Policy that increasing the availability and visibility of healthier foods (on aisle ends, entrances, and check-outs) while reducing the prominence of less healthy products leads to healthier purchasing patterns. 

20% reduction in all-cause mortality with 50 grams more daily consumption

During a trial in 36 discount supermarkets, researchers from the Centre for Food Policy found that placing fruit and vegetables near store entrances led to approximately 2,525 extra portions of fruit and vegetables being purchased per store, per week. The study's authors said these figures could translate to “clinically meaningful improvements” to population health since an increase of 50g of fruit and vegetables per day (one portion equates to 80g) has been associated with 20% reduction in all-cause mortality.

Mandatory healthy sales reporting

The Committee is also pressing the government to introduce mandatory healthy sales reporting for supermarkets without further delay, as proposed in the 10-Year Health Plan. The report backs plans for supermarkets to report the proportion of healthy food they sell and meet government-set targets, with enforcement overseen by the Food Standards Agency. The Committee recommends that targets for major supermarkets should be introduced within the next 12 months, followed by the wider food industry during this Parliament. In addition, retailers should report the number of promotions offered on HFSS (high fat, sugar and salt) products, such as ‘buy one get one free’, compared with healthier foods such as fruit and vegetables.

For more information about the expansion of the British healthy scheme, you can click here

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