UK Food Industry Agrees Measures to Help People Eat Five-a-day
The UK food industry has agreed new guidelines to help consumers increase their intake of fruit and vegetables. A guide, published by IGD, provides a set of principles for businesses to communicate the fruit and vegetable content of ‘composite’ food products that contribute half, one or more of the five portions consumers are recommended to eat or drink each day.
Example composite foods include: baked beans in a tomato sauce; prepared vegetarian lasagne or chilli (ready meal); and vegetable-based soups. The industry has agreed limits to the amount of sugar, salt and saturated fat allowed in a composite food labelled as contributing to your five-a-day to help move consumers towards a healthier and more balanced diet.
Joanne Denney-Finch, IGD chief executive, says: “IGD ShopperTrack research shows that 46% of shoppers expect to buy more products that contribute to their five daily portions of fruit and vegetables over the next 12 months. Under the auspices of IGD a working group consisting of nutritionists from the food industry, trade associations and NGOs has agreed these guidelines which help consumers to do just that.”
She continues: “Composite foods are an important source of fruit and vegetables in the diet. Labelling the number of portions in composite foods helps consumers increase their five-a-day intake and encourages food businesses to add more fruit and vegetables to their products.”
The IGD Industry Nutrition Strategy Group was established in 2003 to examine how the industry can play its part in encouraging healthy eating as part of a healthy lifestyle throughout theUK. The composite foods and 5 a day working group is a sub-group of the Industry Nutrition Strategy Group.
