Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt backs anti-obesity push to force takeaways to cut sugar by 20 per cent and shame businesses that don’t meet target
"Shocking" levels of childhood obesity have lead to a crackdown on sugar - as report reveals kids as young as four are consuming DOUBLE their daily recommended allowance
BRITAIN’S pubs and takeaways will have to drastically slash the sugar content of grub flogged to the public under a new anti-obesity crackdown backed by Jeremy Hunt.
Details released by Public Health England yesterday showed all sectors of the food and drink industry will be expected to cut sugar from their goods by 20 per cent.
Chains such as McDonald’s, Pizza Express, Starbucks, and Gourmet Burger Kitchen face being named and shamed if they do not meet the target.
That could mean changing recipes, or simply reducing the size of portions, after Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt claimed “going out is no longer a treat”.
Manufacturers of cereals, puddings, cakes, jams and ice-cream are already being asked to reformulate products that contribute the most sugar to children’s diets by 2020.
But public health chiefs revealed yesterday they expected all areas of the food and drinks industry including takeaways, restaurants cafes and pubs to come on board.
Officials will consult with food industry leaders over the next six months reporting their sugar reduction targets by March next year.
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Public Health England boss Duncan Selbie said the “shocking” child obesity rates meant they must act now.
He said: “We need take action now to ensure more children do not continue down that path into adulthood and suffer serious health complications as a result.
“What’s in our food and drink clearly affects our health and the food and drink industry can be a powerful influence on what we eat.
“We’re pleased to be leading together on what we believe will be the most extensive, formal and structured programme of food reformulation anywhere in the world.”
Recent figures showed kids as young as four are consuming more than double their recommended levels of sugar.
Kids’ sugary drinks consumption has fallen but they still consume far too much with a third of primary school kids leaving school either obese or overweight.
FAST FOOD ON THE UP
ONE in six young people eats fast food at least twice a day.
And the typical adult now eats meat at least twice a day and has just six meat-free days a month.
The BBC poll also found that fish and chips and a full English breakfast had dropped out of the nation’s top five favourite dishes.
Sunday roasts, curries, pizza, pasta and steak and chips are all seen as tastier.
