Health and Vitality

Promoting plant-based meals? Don’t forget the 80%

The two most impactful ways of reducing the footprint of our food are: reducing food waste along the whole food production and consumption chain; and consuming fewer animal products, writes Annette Burgard. In two quick statistics: agriculture is responsible for 25% of all greenhouse gas emissions; about 40% of all land on earth is used…

Only 3% of consumers choosing a plant-based diet are “eco-warriers”, solely motivated by animal welfare, environmental concerns and health benefits. The vast majority of plant-based consumers fall into four categories: the “healthy hardcores”, whose focus is primarily health; the “value hunters”, who are mainly students and are seeking foods with a longer shelf-life than meat;…

Almost a third of food products are identically or similarly branded but have a different composition, according to research published by the European Commission. The pan-European analysis, carried out by the Commission’s in-house science and knowledge service, the Joint Research Centre, involved 1,380 samples of 128 food products in 19 EU countries. The UK was…

Scotland has announced a £1m food education programme to teach young people about Scotland’s food industry and encourage healthy eating. The Good Food Futures programme will provide children with “a greater understanding of where food comes from and the many career opportunities available in the industry”, the government said. There will be support for more…

“Trailblazer” councils receive £1.5m to tackle obesity

Restaurants and takeaways that improve menus and incentivise healthier options will be offered free waste removal and subsidised advertising rates. The trial, led by Blackburn with Darwen council, is one of a number of initiatives being funded and supported by the Department of Health and Social Care, the Local Government Association (LGA) and Public Health…

Processed meat and sugar cut from school menus

Scotland has set maximum limits for consumption of sugar and certain types of meat in school meals. School food regulations will be amended for the first time in 10 years to ensure: a maximum amount of red and processed red meat provision – such as bacon, ham and pepperoni – in school lunches to help…

Food safety and standards under “strain” as checks are missed

Some local authorities are failing to meet their legal responsibilities to ensure food businesses comply with food laws, according to a report by the National Audit Office. The proportion of hygiene checks of businesses (including detecting unsafe food) that were “due” and successfully carried out increased between 2012-13 and 2017-18, from 82% to 86%. However,…

Plain packaging policy needed for unhealthy food and drink, says IPPR

Sweets, crisps and sugary drinks need to be put on a level playing-field with fruit and vegetables if the UK is to win the battle against preventable diseases, according to the Institute for Public Policy Research. The IPPR report, Ending the Blame Game: The case for a new approach to public health and prevention, identifies…

Shops within hospitals will not be permitted to sell energy drinks to anyone under the age of 16. The new restriction, which will apply to drinks with an added caffeine content of more than 150mg/litre, will also be matched by all NHS-run catering sites. The change is the latest update to the Healthcare Retail Standard,…

Healthy Eating Week reaches far and wide

Over 4,400 schools and nurseries, representing nearly two million children and young people, and 1,850 workplaces (or workplace teams), colleges and universities, representing over 800,000 adults, have registered to take part in this week’s British Nutrition Foundation (BNF) Healthy Eating Week 2019. The initiative aims to promote and celebrate healthy living by providing schools and…