Food & Health Alliance

Were there any surprises or things that you didn’t expect?

I wasn’t necessarily surprised but I was pleased at the extent to which people from different sectors were willing to listen and learn from each other in developing this policy.  Working collaboratively to achieve economic, health and environmental benefits was key, and we can be confident that we have a policy which takes into account the views and needs of many stakeholders.

Was it difficult to balance the recommendations of each workstream?

I think that the new document has the balance just right and presents, for the first time, a policy that is integrated in its approach. For instance, you will find a health dimension to every chapter, just as you would expect elements related to the economy and sustainability.

What impact will this policy have on improving the nation’s diet?

I believe the impact will be significant. The policy recognizes that we all need to play our part to improve our nation’s health, and that the Food and Drink Policy has an important role in helping to deliver healthy produce and encouraging people to think more about their diet. We need to build on current good practice, for example, on reformulation of

products to reduce salt content, and extend these initiatives across the food industry. The supermarkets signing up to the Retailers’ Charter is a significant step forward in doing just that.

What does it mean for stakeholders: In terms of NHS staff?

NHS staff are already working very hard to ensure our health service is health promoting. Specifications for patient food in hospitals were launched last year and the policy will build on that by considering national nutritional standards for the NHS. NHS catering sites are also required to gain the healthyliving award to ensure that staff and visitors have access to healthy, affordable and tasty food options.

In terms of researchers and academics?

We have identified areas where we feel it is important to improve our understanding, including food poverty, food access for vulnerable groups and how food culture impacts on our diet – researchers and academics will play a key role in boosting understanding in these areas and this work will contribute to future policy development.

What will be the biggest challenge you foresee when implementing this policy?

The sheer scope of the policy is probably our biggest challenge but that also provides the biggest opportunity for change – we can make that happen if we work together, and I see the Food & Health Alliance playing an important role here. On health, the scale of the challenge facing us, such as obesity, is huge. I do not think we could rise to that challenge without a Food and Drink Policy. The fact that health is on the agenda, alongside economic and sustainable growth, is very important and presents an exciting potential to impact positively on our health.