UK government launches Healthy Food Standard mandating healthier products

In a bold move to tackle the national obesity crisis, the UK government has announced a mandatory Healthy Food Standard for food retailers and manufacturers. This pioneering policy, part of the upcoming 10-Year Health Plan, aims to compel major food businesses to enhance the health profile of their offerings, fostering healthier consumer choices across the country.

Health and Social Care Secretary Wes Streeting highlighted the urgent need for action on obesity, which he described as one of the greatest pressures on the NHS. He noted that the new standard would give businesses flexibility in how they meet targets, from reformulating products and changing store layouts to promoting healthier options or adapting loyalty schemes.

Streeting also stressed the government’s ambition to create the healthiest generation of children ever through these “smart steps.”

A growing burden on the NHS

Obesity remains one of the biggest challenges to public health in the UK. Rates have doubled since the 1990s, now costing the health service £11.4 billion a year – three times the ambulance budget. Without action, Streeting warned, “the NHS risks becoming unsustainable.”

The UK now has the third-highest adult obesity rate in Europe, contributing to rising levels of heart disease, cancer and type 2 diabetes.

Government figures suggest that cutting average daily calorie intake by just 50 calories could lift 340,000 children and 2 million adults out of obesity. Streeting also emphasised the potential impact of even minor dietary adjustments, noting that if those who are overweight reduced their calorie intake by just 216 calories a day – roughly the amount in a bottle of fizzy drink – obesity rates could be halved.

A forthcoming report from the Chief Medical Officer is expected to reveal that more than one in five children are obese by the end of primary school, increasing to nearly one in three in the most deprived areas.

Streeting said the new strategy would help shift the NHS “from a sickness service to a prevention service”, making it easier for people to live healthily.

Through our new healthy food standard, we will make the healthy choice the easy choice, because prevention is better than cure.”

Retailers welcome mandatory reporting

Supermarket leaders have welcomed the policy, particularly the requirement for mandatory reporting on healthy food sales, something many in the industry have previously called for.

Ken Murphy, CEO of Tesco, said:

All food businesses have a critical part to play in providing good quality, affordable and healthy food. At Tesco, we have measured and published our own healthier food sales for a number of years now — we believe it is key to more evidence-led policy and better-targeted health interventions. That’s why we have called for mandatory reporting for all supermarkets and major food businesses, and why we welcome the Government’s announcement on this.”

Simon Roberts, CEO of Sainsbury’s, added:

We’re passionate about making good food joyful, accessible and affordable for everyone and have been championing the need for mandatory health reporting across the food industry for many years. Today’s announcement from Government is an important and positive step forward in helping the nation to eat well.”

Levelling the playing field

Public health experts and campaign groups have also endorsed the policy, describing it as a long-overdue rebalancing of responsibility from individuals to the food industry.

Katharine Jenner, Director of the Obesity Health Alliance, said:

This is a fair and evidence-based prescription for better health; big businesses urgently need the government to level the playing field to help them focus on selling products that help people live well.

The government has rightly identified the root cause of obesity-related ill health: a food system that makes healthy eating difficult. Crucially, it puts the spotlight on the food industry and commits to holding it accountable — rather than placing the burden on individuals who are already struggling to get by.”

Henry Dimbleby, author of the National Food Strategy and the Government’s Independent Food Review, said:

What gets measured gets done. Mandatory reporting is a crucial first step in improving the food environment — it creates a level playing field, rewards the businesses already acting, and gives us a clear picture of what’s really being sold.”

Following last week’s blocking of Bite Back’s award-winning anti-junk food campaign by two major outdoor media owners, Nicki Whiteman, Interim CEO of the youth campaign group, called the announcement a “game changer for children’s health.” She said requiring all supermarkets to set healthy sales targets and be transparent about what they sell would “empower the good guys and shift the dial on those that have been lagging behind.”

She added:

For too long, the odds have been stacked against young people. The aisles have been dominated by junk food and slick promos. It’s time to push junk food off stage and give the spotlight to healthier options instead.”

A broader strategy for national health

The Healthy Food Standard complements broader government efforts to reduce health inequalities, including targeted maternal health interventions in ethnic minority and working-class communities.

Environment Secretary Steve Reed stated the policy also supports the growth of the UK’s food sector, noting it is vital that the industry delivers “healthy food that is available, affordable and appealing.”

He added:

Our food strategy will bring together the health plan, food producers and retailers to make sure we can feed the nation more healthily while growing the economic success of our food sector.”

The government will now work with the Food Strategy Advisory Board to finalise the Healthy Food Standard’s implementation timeline and framework. Businesses will be required to publish annual reports on the healthiness of their sales, enabling transparency and accountability.

According to Which? findings, 60 percent of consumers support the government setting health targets for supermarkets, reflecting strong public backing for the initiative.

With support from government, retailers and campaigners, the Healthy Food Standard marks a pivotal shift in tackling diet-related health issues and sharing responsibility across the food system.