FSA launches consultation into reducing saturated fat in food

The Food Standards Agency has launched a consultation to look at ways to reduce the level of saturated fat in people’s diet and make it easier to eat more healthily. It was launched today (March 27) and submissions are due by June 19.

The agency is seeking views from interested parties on ways to make people more aware of the need to eat healthily and the effect of poor diet, such as the effects of eating too much saturated fat. It also want to encourage manufacturers to make more products available in smaller packs for mainstream sales rather than just in multi-packs and to make more reduced saturated-fat alternatives of everyday food. Finally, it wants to encourage the food industry to look at what it is putting in its products and improve recipes while reducing saturated fat levels.

Gill Fine, FSA director of nutrition and dietary health, says: “Cardiovascular disease is the main cause of death in the UK and poor diet is thought to be responsible for a third of these deaths.”

She adds that many food manufacturers and retailers have already taken action but that the FSA is keen to find out what more can be done.

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