The Food and Drink Federation (FDF) responded to the publication earlier today of the NICE guidance on opportunities to improve the diet in the United Kingdom.
Julian Hunt, FDF's Director of Communication states: "We are surprised that NICE has found the time and the money to develop guidance that seems to be out of touch with the reality of what has been happening for many years."
"The food industry is leading the world when it comes to voluntarily changing the recipes of popular food brands so that they are lower in salt, fat or energy;introducing better-for-you choices at the same price as standard lines;and improving the quality of nutrition information available on packs. To give a specific example, industry reformulation efforts have already resulted in the levels of trans fats in foods dropping to such low levels that UK intakes are now well below the recommendations by the World Health Organisation."
"The new Government has rightly made public health its top priority and has already set out a clear vision of its priorities in this area - including how it wants to create even more momentum behind industry's voluntary actions. We look forward to working with new Ministers, and other stakeholders, to bring that work to life in a way that makes a real difference for consumers."
The FDF also refers to a number of case studies on product reformulation efforts by the UK Food Industry. These include a number of potato product related cases.
