The letter, sent as part of the Recipe for Change campaign, was signed by Sustain, the Food Foundation, the Obesity Health Alliance, British Heart Foundation, Bite Back, Diabetes UK and the Royal Society for Public Health.
Anna Taylor, executive director of the Food Foundation, said: “The damage the food industry is doing to children’s health is the biggest threat to our nation’s wellbeing and future productivity and this needs to be reined in – urgently. The Government must now get bolder, creating real incentives to force the industry to align with public health goals, further and faster.”
New polling data highlights the British public’s scepticism towards food companies’ commitment to health. Conducted by YouGov with nearly 5,000 British adults, the survey reveals that:
- 74% of adults believe that companies are not honest about the health impacts of their food, with only 17% of the public trusting them to be honest.
- 61% of people are worried about sugar and saturated fat levels in their food, 50% about salt levels, and 72% about high levels of processing.
- Only 13% believe food companies will reduce unhealthy ingredients in their food without Government intervention.
- 68% support an expansion of the sugary drinks tax to other unhealthy foods, if the money supported children’s food and health initiatives.
Kath Dalmeny, chief executive of Sustain, added: “It's time to stop subsidising obesity and start incentivising health. While we welcome the move to strengthen the Soft Drinks Industry Levy, shop shelves are still loaded with unhealthy food after decades of ineffective voluntary reduction programmes.
“Enough is enough. Let’s build on what works and enforce real regulation, with consistent financial incentives across the food industry. This will give children the healthier future they truly deserve."