Responsibility Deal better for the food industry than public health, say campaigners

In its report, 'The Irresponsibility Deal?', the campaign group concludes that the government's public health plans are likely to fail because industry commitments are weak, voluntary and ignored by numerous big food companies. The report goes into great detail about the 33 companies failing to commit themselves to one or more of the three pledges – out of home calorie labelling; salt reduction and artificial trans fat removal. It also lists 13 well known companies, including Birds Eye, Budgens, Domino's Pizza and Nandos, which have failed to sign up to any health pledges at all. The Children's Food Campaign's Kawther Hashem, who researched and wrote the report, said: "Our analysis shows that, unlike its name suggests, the 'Responsibility Deal' is an irresponsible and utterly inadequate response to the public health problems we face." There also appears to be some confusion when it comes to the deal and the pledges. For example, Typhoo Tea has signed up to remove trans fats from its products, despite the fact that its only product - tea - doesn't contain any trans fats. And Tesco has signed up to calorie labelling in its cafés – even though they are run as franchises, mostly by Costa Coffee, which has refused to introduce the labelling in its outlets. "This initiative has failed to elicit the commitment needed from the food industry to improve the nation's diet and health, and instead is being abused by some companies as a marketing opportunity", added Hashem. "We need a genuinely responsible approach to public health, including regulations to protect children from junk food marketing, and colour-coded front-of-pack nutrition labelling to help consumers, including children, make healthier choices." But the Food and Drink Federation (FDF) hit back at the report saying it was far too soon to make a judgement on the pledges. FDF Director of Communications Terry Jones said: "With the Responsibility Deal not even six months old, it feels like Children's Food Campaign is more focussed on regulating the food industry than it is on better health outcomes for children. As members of the Food Network, food manufacturers are already making progress against their pledges to eliminate artificial transfats and reduce salt levels. "Furthermore within that same framework, FDF members are also considering how they can play their part in the government's drive to reduce obesity levels which will be announced later this year." The following Responsibility Deal companies failed to sign up to out-of-home calorie labelling: Bella Italia Restaurants Ltd Café Rouge Restaurants Ltd Costa Ltd Marston's PLC Mitchells & Butlers PLC Paramount Restaurants Limited Pizza Express Restaurants Ltd Punch Pub Company Strada Restaurants Ltd Subway International B.V. Whitbread Group PLC The following Responsibility Deal companies failed to sign up to the salt reduction pledge: Burger King United Kingdom Ltd Camden Food Co Harvester Restaurants KFC UK McDonald's Restaurants Ltd Mitchells & Butlers PLC Paramount Restaurants Limited Pizza Hut (UK) Limited Starbucks Coffee Company The Real Greek Wimpy Restaurants Group Ltd Bakers / processed food companies Fine Lady Bakeries Ltd Iceland Foods Ltd Kerry Foods Papa John's GB Ltd Produced in Italy Ltd Samworth Brothers Ltd Young's Seafood Limited Food catering supply companies 3663 Apetito BaxterStorey The following Responsibility Deal companies failed to sign up to the pledge to remove artificial trans fats: Alliance Boots Harvester Restaurants JD Wetherspoon PLC Mitchells & Butlers PLC Sodexo SPAR (UK) Ltd The Real Greek Wimpy Restaurants Group Ltd There are some big names in the food industry that have not signed up to the Responsibility Deal at all, including: Birds Eye Brake Bros Ltd Budgens Caffè Nero Group Ltd Domino's Pizza Inc Dr Oetker Findus Gourmet Burger Kitchen Nandos Northern Foods Princes Procter & Gamble Wagamama