Supermarkets, including Tesco, Sainsburys, Co-op, Aldi and M&S have called for “bold action” by the government in response to Henry Dimbleby’ s National Food Strategy.
Describing the strategy and the promised government white paper response as a ”once-in-a-generation opportunity” to tackle the obesity crisis and make the UK’s food system healthier and less harmful to the planet, the retailers, alongside dozens of health campaign groups and charities, called for regulatory targets which would see “transformational change.”
However, supermarket sources and the charities have told The Grocer their call in a jointly issued statement backed by 100 organisations, stops well short of retailers backing all of Dimbleby’ s proposals, including radical plans for a raft of new taxes on products high in sugar and salt.
Dimbleby also recommended the industry is given targets to reduce consumption of meat by 30% and foods high in fat, salt, and sugar by 25%.
However, The Grocer understands retailers intended the statement to express their support for his plans for mandatory reporting on areas such as the sales of health food and drink, as well as areas such as food waste.
Reports have suggested supermarkets were backing his calls for taxes but Sustain, the charity which organised the statement, also signed by the likes of the Food Foundation, WWF and the British heart Foundation, said it did not mean retailers backing a “junk food bill.”
“The Food Strategy White Paper is a once-in-a-generation opportunity for the UK Government to set out a single visionary plan to transform England’s food system for our health, the economy, and the planet,” says the joint statement.
It adds: “To do this, the White Paper must commit first and foremost to new primary legislation, demonstrating the Government’s ambition in this space by putting in place the food system impact targets and long-term levers that will support the cross-government action that is needed to transform the food system for future generations. Through smart investment, aligned trade policy, standards and the right targets and laws in food, the Government can unlock innovation and build resilient, sustainable supply chains and progressive partnerships with the best producers.”
Sainsbury’s CEO Simon Roberts told The Grocer: “We are supportive of the mandatory reporting recommendations laid out in the National Food Strategy and believe that better transparency across the food sector will develop industry insights that positively influence customer health outcomes.”
The Grocer revealed last month that the government had “no date” for a response to Dimbleby’s strategy, having initally pledged to bring out a White Paper within six months of its publication in July.
There are fears it could face further delays because of the crisis in Ukraine.
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