The Food Standards Agency has launched a consultation, aimed at reducing saturated fat in food products. It is suggesting that their proposal will also increase the availability of healthier options and smaller portion sizes in savoury snacks.

The proposal includes plans to secure the reduction in the fat and saturated fat content of sausages, meat pies and pastries, to make single packs of 30g or less more widely available and increase the promotion of/encouraging consumer interest in the smaller pack sizes. For all food products the FSA want companies to increase marketing efforts towards the promotion of reduced/low-fat options.

The FSA’s proposal is in line with the European Commissions Regulation on Nutrition and Health Claims which, contrary to popular belief, is there to encourage the use of nutrition and health claims on food not stifle such use. Healthy food is an area that is set to demand a huge amount of research and development in the forthcoming years, and Europe and the Government are likely to support this. However, once developed, the healthy food has to be signed off as actually “healthy” by the rigorous scientists at the European Food Standards Agency – this is currently where the plan for a healthy Europe may come unstuck!

Posted by Fiona Carter
0115 976 6224
fcarter@brownejacobson.com