Healthy Eating could save 70,000!

A new healthy eating campaign is set to launch into public-sector canteens following the release of a report saying that around 70,000 lives could be saved in the UK every year if people avoided unhealthy food.

The report titled Food Matters said the government would develop a campaign to encourage more healthy eating.

“Wasted food costs the average UK family £420 a year.”

The scheme is due to initially start on a voluntary basis in hospitals, Whitehall departments and prisons. However, the government will then push to extended the drive across the entire public sector. Around a third of all meals served by caterers in the UK are served in public-sector institutions.The report commissioned by Gordon Brown, also called for a renewed push to persuade people to eat five portions of fruit or vegetables each day.

The Cabinet Office discovered that about a third of the food bought for home consumption is wasted. The report said wasted food costs the average UK family £420 a year.

The report stated: “Around 70,000 fewer people would die prematurely each year in the UK if diets matched the nutritional guidelines on fruit and vegetable consumption, and saturated fat, added sugar and salt intake.”

Under the new initiative, caterers working in the public sector will be encouraged to apply for a Healthier Food Mark quality award. To qualify, caterers will have to meet various criteria, covering ingredients, portion sizes, menu variety and local procurement.

After piloting the system on a voluntary basis, the government will consider making it compulsory for central government and for prisons.