The Department of Health and Social Care has introduced new food standards, which businesses and supermarkets will be required to follow, aiming to decrease overall calorie consumption and combat the obesity crisis. According to the DHSC, a mere 50-calorie reduction per day could pull 2 million adults and 340,000 children out of obesity.

Health and Social Care Secretary Wes Streeting commented: “The good news is that it only takes a small change to make a big difference. If everyone who is overweight reduced their calorie intake by around 200 calories a day, the equivalent of a bottle of fizzy drink, obesity would be halved. Through our new healthy food standard, we will make the healthy choice the easy choice, because prevention is better than cure.”

The new standards are designed to force businesses to keep their customer’s calorie count in mind when arranging things like discounts, store layouts and recipes. 

Katharine Jenner, Director of Obesity Health Alliance, commented: “The government has rightly identified the root cause of obesity-related ill health: a food system that makes healthy eating difficult. Crucially, it puts the spotlight on the food industry and commits to holding it accountable for providing healthier options, rather than placing the burden on individuals who are already struggling to get by.”

Additionally, businesses will now be required to disclose their sales of healthy foods, thereby increasing transparency within the industry. 

Anna Taylor, Executive Director of The Food Foundation, said: “The introduction of mandatory reporting by all large food companies, including takeaway chains, on the healthiness of their food sales is a game changer. The data will also clearly reveal to consumers which businesses are on their side and making healthy choices easy, and which are making it actively harder for them to eat well. The faster this is introduced, the better.”

The CEOs of leading supermarkets have come forward in support of the new regulations, pointing out how their companies have been following similar practices voluntarily for some time now.

Sainsbury’s chief Simon Roberts has voiced his stance, declaring: “We need a level playing field across the entirety of our food sector for these actions to have a real and lasting impact. We look forward to working across Government and our wider industry on the further development of these policies and in helping to drive improved health outcomes across our nation.”

Tesco Group’s top boss Ken Murphy has expressed his approval, stating: “We have called for mandatory reporting for all supermarkets and major food businesses and we welcome the Government’s announcement on this. We look forward to working with them on the details of the Healthy Food Standard and its implementation by all relevant food businesses.”

Aldi UK’s leader Giles Hurley has responded positively, saying: “At Aldi our mission has always been to make good healthy food affordable for all and we welcome today’s Government announcement.

“From our Super 6 offers on fresh fruit and vegetables, to our partnership with TeamGB and ParalymicsGB, we know how important a nutritious diet is for our customers. We will continue to report on our healthier food sales and look forward to working with the Government and industry to ensure customers always have access to healthy affordable food.”