Report shows parents back minimum food standards

The report, which was today at the Trust's first Children's Food Conference, revealed that 79% of surveyed parents would like to see minimum food nutritional standards applied to any setting that looks after children, including holiday clubs, nurseries and soft play centres. Additionally 65% of surveyed parents agreed that foods and drinks that are high in fat, salt and sugar should not be advertised on television before 9pm, regardless of whether the programmes were aimed at adults or children. The report will make interesting reading for any restaurant or food service provider; particularly those with a separate children's menu. Parents report feeling frustrated at the often unhealthy dishes frequently found on children's menus, and 70% say they think their children would prefer to eat a smaller portion of a dish from the main menu, than the traditional fish, sausage or burger and chips kids offering. Speaking prior to the conference, Children's Food Trust Chairman, Rob Rees said: "Parents have such a tough job to encourage their children to eat healthily - and what's clear is that they think there are lots of ways we could make their lives easier. "This isn't about a 'nanny state' - it's about what will help rather than hinder parents in feeding their children well. "If we're serious about reducing the crippling costs to the NHS of poor diet, we need to get behind parents on this." His thoughts chime with those of Shadow Public Health Minister Diane Abbott who said she wanted to put "children at the heart of public health policy" in a recent speech to the IPPR (Inst. for Public Policy Research). The Children's Food Trust interviewed 1,015 parents across the UK with at least one child aged between ages three and 15 online between 16th and 21st February 2012. The conference, being held today at the CBI Conference Centre in London, is debating the results of the survey with panellists including Children's Minister Sarah Teather MP and Professor Richard Parrish, chief executive of the Royal Society for Public Health.