Solutions are being sought by the Welsh Government that reduce the levels of salt, sugar and saturated fats, as well as improve the nutritional value of food and drink for children.
The Cabinet Secretary for Environment and Rural Affairs, Lesley Griffiths, said: “This programme is a call to our food innovators in Wales to help us improve the health of our children by providing good quality and nourishing food, whilst keeping costs down.
“The Welsh food and drink industry can be proud of its record in innovation, in launching new products and driving up standards, and I’m now appealing to you to use your skills, talents and creativity, to tackle one of the greatest challenges of all – improving the diets of our children today, to enable them to become the healthy young adults of tomorrow.”
In addition to improving the diet of children it’s expected that the programme will have wider benefits, including, providing financial savings for schools, boosting the food industry in Wales and further enhancing its reputation for research and innovation.