Citation
(2004), "Food Standards Agency agency consults on new strategic plan", Nutrition & Food Science, Vol. 34 No. 5. https://doi.org/10.1108/nfs.2004.01734eab.015
Publisher
:Emerald Group Publishing Limited
Copyright © 2004, Emerald Group Publishing Limited
Food Standards Agency agency consults on new strategic plan
The Food Standards Agency Strategic Plan 2005-2010 – Putting Consumers First – continues to make food safety a high priority, but also commits the Agency to do more on eating for health, and choice. Tough and aspirational targets have been set in all three areas.
Food safety
On food safety, the Agency will aim to:
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continue to reduce foodborne illness; and
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reduce further the risks to consumers from chemical contamination of food.
Eating for health
On eating for health the Agency aims to:
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encourage consumers to choose a healthy diet;
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make healthy eating an easier option; and
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help to reduce diet-related diseases.
In targeting change in people’s diets, the Agency intends, for example, to work with health departments, to reduce the average salt intakes of UK adults from the current 9.5 g to 6 g per day by 2010.
It also aims by 2010, to reduce children’s salt intake in line with recommendations from the Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition, which range from less than 1 g per day for babies aged 0-6 months to 5 g per day for 7-10 year olds.
In influencing supply, the Agency intends by 2006 to establish targets for salt content for the ten food categories contributing most salt to the diet.
In helping consumers make healthier choices, by 2005 the Agency intends to set up a programme of surveys of calorie, salt, fat and/or sugar content of foods and publish the results to help consumers make informed choices about food.
Choice
To make it easier for consumers to make informed choices, the Agency will, for example, aim to promote the best practice in the provision of information, and ensure that the regulation of food supplements and health claims is based on evidence and is proportionate.
For more information on the draft strategic plan, visit Web site:: www.food.gov.uk/news/newsarchive/agencysnewstrategicplan020404