Highlights
This analytical report, produced at the request of the MSSS, describes the United Kingdom’s experience in developing, implementing and monitoring voluntary targets for reformulation of processed foods, through desk research and conducting interviews with three key informants. Over the years, the UK’s reformulation targets have served as an example in several jurisdictions around the world, particularly because of their longevity and the significant number of foods they target.
The main findings of this report are as follows:
- The documented elements highlighted the essential nature of the British government’s continued commitment to ensure the sustainability of the targets and compliance with them by the biofood industry. The advocacy actions of several NGOs and scientific experts, combined with robust scientific evidence on the potential health benefits of reformulation targets, have contributed to strengthening the commitment of government decision-makers;
- The monitoring mechanisms put in place in the United Kingdom have made it possible to assess the progress made by the biofood industry in reducing salt and sugar levels in foods and have been instrumental in the success of the targets;
- Consultation with stakeholders in the biofood industry was essential. However, the excessive involvement of industrial players during the transfer of target management to a public-private partnership has been repeatedly criticized. Indeed, the biofood industry would have benefited from too much latitude regarding the mechanisms for monitoring the nutritional composition of foods, complicating the evaluation of the progress reported by manufacturers. This change in governance would have led to a slowdown in reducing the salt content of processed foods;
- Other policies and measures, such as the UK’s tax on drinks with added sugars and the addition of front-of-pack symbols, were introduced alongside the targets and have encouraged the biofood industry to reduce the salt and sugar contents of their products;
- Studies evaluating the effects of the UK reformulation targets have reported reductions of varying magnitude in the salt and sugar contents of foods covered by the targets and in the intakes of the British population of these same nutrients. Establishing progressively lower thresholds over the years has been identified as an effective strategy to promote the achievement of targets.
The findings of this report can be considered by other jurisdictions to develop and implement policies aimed at improving the nutritional value of processed foods. This information will also contribute to food for thought regarding improving the nutritional value of processed foods in Quebec.
