Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to help consumers to identify ultra-processed food, to encourage the consumption of healthy food, and to reduce the percentage of ultra-processed food in the national diet.

As set out in the King's Speech, the Government will bring forward the necessary secondary legislation to ban junk food advertising to children, and will stop the sale of high-caffeine energy drinks to under 16-year-olds. We face an obesity crisis, and we will take action to tackle it head on, easing the strain on the National Health Service and creating the healthiest generation of children ever.

There is no universally agreed definition of ultra-processed foods (UPF), although NOVA is the most widely used classification system. NOVA categorises foods by how processed they are, rather than their nutritional composition.

Published evidence has estimated that UPF intake varies by age group, ranging from 51% in adults aged over 19 years old, to 68% in adolescents aged 12 to 18 years old, based on National Diet and Nutrition Survey data.

In July 2023 the UK Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition (SACN) published a position statement on processed foods and health, and concluded that observed associations between UPFs and health are concerning, but it is unclear whether these foods are inherently unhealthy due to processing or due to their nutritional content. Given the SACN’s concerns, they added the topic of processed foods and health to their watching brief and will consider it at their next horizon scan meeting in October 2024.

Government dietary advice, based on recommendations from the SACN and as depicted within The Eatwell Guide, already shows that many foods that would be classified as ultra-processed are not part of a healthy, balanced diet, as they are high in calories, saturated fat, salt, or sugar. Government advice on healthy eating, including The Eatwell Guide principles, is communicated through the NHS.UK website and the Government’s social marketing campaigns such as Better Health, Healthier Families, and Start for Life.