News Stories
Lidl are the latest retailer to remove cartoon characters from children's breakfast cereals
Date added: Friday, January 3, 2020
New Evidence for Salt Reduction - Government must now force the food industry to take out the huge and unnecessary amount of salt they add to our food
Date added: Tuesday, February 25, 2020
Junk Food Brand Drops Advertising to Kids During Lockdown to Avoid Formal Regulatory Investigation
Date added: Thursday, May 21, 2020
Experts Call for Immediate Government Intervention on Obesity to Help Prevent Further Deaths from COVID-19
Date added: Friday, May 29, 2020
COVID-19: Public Health England review of disparities in risks and outcomes
Date added: Wednesday, June 3, 2020
The Chancellor's 'Eat Out to Help Out' Scheme - A Step Back for Public Health
Date added: Thursday, July 9, 2020
Keeping Score as Leading Experts Evaluate Progress of the Obesity Prevention Plans and Urge the Government to Ban Junk Food Ads Before 9pm
Date added: Wednesday, July 15, 2020
Action on Salt reaction to the closure of Public Health England
Date added: Wednesday, August 19, 2020
Action on Salt, Action on Sugar and over 70 health organisations unite to raise serious concerns with Government about plans to reorganise the public health system
Date added: Wednesday, September 2, 2020
UK’s Leading Salt Reduction Policy in Jeopardy Following Closure of Public Health England
Today Action on Salt and Blood Pressure UK have written to Secretary of State for Health and Social Care Matt Hancock to request an independent body be made responsible for the UK's salt reduction policy, following the reorganisation of Public Health England. A PDF version of our letter is available here: Letter to Matt Hancock - The Future of Salt Reduction [PDF 139KB] Dear Secretary of State, The UK’s salt reduction programme is a pioneering and successful public health policy which encouraged the food industry to slowly remove the huge and unnecessary amounts of salt they add to our food. This has led to a fall in salt intake in the whole UK population and thereby population blood pressure, which is estimated to have saved 18,000 stroke and heart attack events each year, 9,000 of which would have been fatal[1]. Independent research by NICE revealed that the salt reduction programme has led to annual healthcare savings of £1.5bn[2]. Despite being copied all over the world, in the last few years the policy has failed to further reduce salt intake with the latest National Diet and Nutrition Survey measurement finding an intake of 8.4g/day in 2018/19 compared to 8g/day in 2014. However, salt reduction is an excellent example of a policy that can be implemented quietly and efficiently, without asking the public to change their behaviour. Over time, taste buds adapt to the less salty taste of food making it sustainable, cost-effective and hugely beneficial for health. There is no doubt, when considering the history of salt reduction in the UK and the world, that where there is a strong independent agency that is not subject to food industry pressure or political pressure, this is when the policy has been successful. It is absolutely vital that we resuscitate what was a very successful national public health policy but it needs strong independent leadership to continue that success. We would very much like to discuss this with you or your officials to ensure the UK continues to lead the world in salt reduction, saving thousands of people from dying needlessly from strokes and heart disease. Yours sincerely, Professor Graham MacGregor Professor of Cardiovascular Medicine, Queen Mary University of London and Chair of Action on Salt and Blood Pressure UK Ms Katharine Jenner CEO, Blood Pressure UK Professor Simon Capewell Professor of Public Health and Policy, University of Liverpool Professor Franco Cappuccio Professor of Cardiovascular Medicine & Epidemiology, Warwick Medical School and Head of the World Health Organization Collaborating Centre for Nutrition Professor Jacob George Professor of Cardiovascular Medicine and Therapeutics, Ninewells Hospital, Dundee and Director of R&D, NHS Tayside Professor Feng He Professor of Global Health Research, Queen Mary University of London Professor Malcolm Law Professor of Epidemiology & Preventative Medicine, Queen Mary University of London Professor Christopher Millett Professor of Public Health, Imperial College London Professor Neil Poulter Professor of Cardiovascular Medicine, School of Public Health, Imperial College London [1] He FJ, Pombo-Rodrigues S, MacGregor GA. Salt reduction in England from 2003 to 2011: its relationship to blood pressure, stroke and ischaemic heart disease mortality. BMJ Open 2014;4:e004549. doi: 10.1136/bmjopen-2013-004549 [2] National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE). Guidance on the prevention of cardiovascular disease at the population level. http://guidance.nice.org.uk/PH25
Date added: Wednesday, September 30, 2020
Ultra-processed food consumption and risk of obesity: a prospective cohort study of UK Biobank
Date added: Monday, October 19, 2020
Global burden of 87 risk factors in 204 countries and territories, 1990–2019: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2019
Date added: Saturday, October 17, 2020
Saving a lost decade - How a new deal for public health can help build a healthier nation Summary
Date added: Tuesday, November 10, 2020
Improving the nutritional content of commercial baby food and drinks consultation
Date added: Tuesday, November 24, 2020
New public consultation on total ban of online advertising for unhealthy foods
Date added: Tuesday, November 10, 2020
National Diet and Nutrition Survey: Years 9 to 11 (2016 to 2017 and 2018 to 2019)
Date added: Friday, December 11, 2020
Promotions on food and drinks high in fat, salt or sugar (HFSS) in retailers will be restricted from April 2022
Date added: Monday, December 28, 2020
