No ‘health crunch’, say manufacturers
11 March 2009
Response has been rapid to consumer group Which?'s 'Hungry for Change' report, with reaction coming from the BRC, which accuses it of undermining healthy eating, and from the Food & Drink Federation (FDF)
Reacting to the report Hungry for Change? by Which?, the British Retail Consortium (BRC) said Which? is wrong to suggest price is a barrier to healthy eating.
Indeed the Food Standards Agency’s ‘Low Income Diet and Nutrition Survey’ found no significant link between income and dietary patterns. That demonstrates intense competition between UK retailers is making healthy food affordable for families of all incomes and education is the key to improving eating patterns.
The BRC pointed out that home cooking is currently increasing as customers buy more fresh ingredients and use retailers’ tips to improve their cooking skills.
BRC Food Policy Director Andrew Opie said: “It’s nonsense to suggest price is a barrier to eating well. Which? is actually discouraging customers from exploring healthy eating choices by pushing the myth that fresh fruit and veg. are expensive. Customers should look beyond scare headlines, get into supermarkets and see just how affordable good fresh food is.
“Fresh produce is the main focus of promotions as retailers battle it out to offer customers the best possible value.
“Retailers have also re-formulated products, for example to reduce salt and remove fats; they are providing customers with more nutritional information than they’ve ever had - not just on labels - and working with government on initiatives such as the ‘5-a-day’ fruit and veg. campaign.
“But food is only one element of the obesity equation. Factors such as exercise and education are also important.”
Meanwhile, Julian Hunt, FDF Director of Communications, says: “UK food and drink manufacturers have made a massive contribution to improving the health of the nation and are widely acknowledged to be leading the world in terms of our response to many of the key debates that have been raging since 2004.
“Our members are helping consumers make healthier choices through a combination of recipe changes, the development of ‘better for you’ options and improved nutrition information on packs.
“The recession is clearly making life difficult for our sector but we see no evidence to suggest this is causing a ‘health crunch’. Our members will not be distracted from their groundbreaking work in this area, nor will they slow their efforts to keep providing consumers with what they want – nutritious, tasty food at affordable prices.”
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