International Supermarket News

In Europe, the issue is also very clear. A recent survey showed that three quarters of respondents "totally agreed" that "there seem to be more overweight children these days than five years ago". Indeed, the estimate is that around 22 million kids are overweight in the EU, of which 5 million are obese.

Throughout Europe we have promoted awareness of the five a day campaign for fruit and vegetables and yet on average we still fall well short of that target. The UK Government just last year estimated that £19.9bn every year would be saved if our diet met national nutritional guidelines, including the five a day policy. But the costs of treating the overweight are estimated to be £7.7bn a year. However whose role is to promote healthier eating and, even having determined that, how best can it be achieved?

Last September, Mariann Fischer Boel, Commissioner for Agriculture and Rural Development, launched a new 'Healthy Eating Campaign' for European school children. It involves roadshows touring European countries with the slogan "Eat it, Drink it, Move it", giving children a chance to participate in educational activities and games. This is combined with a web site and other activities. In the UK, support has been given to the efforts of people like Jamie Oliver promoting healthier school meals and the Food Standards Agency developed itself a role particularly in terms of traffic light nutrition labels. Yet many still question if it will make a difference. Many, for example, would argue that such labeling is ineffective and that the Agency has spread too far from its core role on food safety. There is criticism of food labeling as a whole. Evidence has been given that those perhaps at greatest risk largely ignore labeling. In terms of all busy shoppers, have they really time to study labels and are they really the solution? Are they really appropriate to the target groups here? Trans fats, very much highlighted in healthy eating debates,  don't have to be included in the nutritional information provided on a food label unless a specific claim has been made such as 'low in trans fats' and they don't need to be listed in the ingredients.

 Others argue that the retail sector, especially the supermarkets, should take the lead ensuring healthy ranges in its shops and taking off the shelves others less so. On a recent radio programme I listened to, one of those interviewed suggested a complete ban of products with high transfat content. However yet again is this really practical or achievable? Is it right? Retailers respond to demand and is it really their role – surely not and is it really appropriate? They can of course seek to promote healthier products but can they really be expected to take particular items off the shelves just because they may be deemed unhealthy.

John Redwood, on the same radio programme, made clear that he saw the fight against obesity to be better led by food providers. The coalition government in the UK has already said that they want a range of stakeholders involved and the return on government investment to date on healthy eating initiatives has not been good. Again opponents are keen to point out that this approach could lead to even more fatty, sugary and salty foods.

The way forward is not fully clear. In the end, the responsibility must lie with the final consumer and their choice is linked not just to increasing their knowledge of healthier eating but to how much they have to spend on food. Undoubtedly there has been growth in interest in provenance and indeed spending in areas such as meat and fresh produce linked to this theme. Yet all the supermarket statistics indicate that this has also been related to a decreased spend on so called staple items and the growth of value lines to ensure their total food spending matches what they can afford.

When I was young growing up on a smallholding in Yorkshire, we ate mainly home produced food – certainly not all of it was healthy by today’s definition, and I can still recall the joys of  bacon with more fat than  meat!, but we had outdoor lives and plenty of exercise. Life style for me and many others is very much different from that time some 50 years ago. The ultimate responsibility lies with the individual and the core must still be in education, encouraging knowledge of food, healthy safe eating and the importance of exercise.

As ever it is a complex issue. There are undoubtedly challenges and none of the debate can be had without reference to the economic position. At a time when we are all facing up to the pain of cost cutting in so many ways, choice of healthy products is not always at the top of our list. Again in the UK, our Prime Minister had led the debate on the big society, encouraging communities to take responsibility. Perhaps there is scope within this for addressing healthier eating. The debate I am sure will go on and all in the very real context that many in our world would like to have the challenge. Still too many of our global population face starvation and that challenge far outweighs any other debate.

On a lighter note, I am off next week for a week’s holiday to Devon in the South West of England. I look forward to enjoying a traditional cream tea. Yes, I know they are bad for me but they are so nice. As I said healthy eating is not easy and ultimately the responsibility is the individual. Ah well, plenty of exercise to go with it is planned.  

Next month my comment piece will focus on fruit and vegetables in the run up to the World Fruit and Vegetable Show on the 27th and 28^th October. This year I will be chairing a number of discussion groups on a range of relevant topics within the Show itself – more of that next month.