Helping people make healthier choices when eating out of the home

The British Prime Minister has called for stronger partnerships between Government and the food services industry to help enable consumers to make healthier choices when eating out of the home.

A report published today by the Cabinet Office’s Strategy Unit, Food Matters – Towards a Strategy for the 21st Century, sets out Government aims to better integrate the different elements of the food system and its impact economically, socially and environmentally;as well as working with the public, food chain businesses, other stakeholders and other tiers of government to put a new food policy framework in place.

The Food Standards Agency has today outlined its current work with the catering sector and future plans to encourage this part of the industry to help consumers eat more healthily and make informed choices out of home.

The foods we eat out of home are on average higher in fat, saturates, salt and sugar than the foods we eat at home. A recent FSA snapshot survey found:

• 85% of people agreed with the statement that restaurants, pubs and cafes have a responsibility to make it clear what is in the food they serve.
• In addition, when asked where respondents would expect to see nutritional information for it to be most useful, 81% of people said they would like
  to see it at the point when they order food, such as on the menu in a restaurant, or visible when they are buying a sandwich or a muffin in a coffee shop or cafe.
• In contrast, only 2% of respondents said they would find it useful on company websites.

Some parts of the catering sector are doing good work and providing information about the nutritional content of their food. However, this information is often not visible and, therefore, not as useful for consumers. More progress could be made in this area so that people have honest information at their fingertips to make informed decisions when they eat out.

Following new legislation in New York City, chain restaurants with 15 or more outlets must display calorie contents on menus, menu boards or food tags. The move was made to fight the increasing obesity problem. In the UK, the Government has had success taking a voluntary approach with industry on work such as salt reformulation, and this is the route that will be taken initially with the catering sector.