Annual Review 2009: Leading from the front

Industry in action

Taking positive action on the health debate

The launch of our report on industry's reformulation efforts – Recipe for Change – by Public Health Minister Gillian Merron was one of a number of highly visible activities designed to promote our sector's positive contribution to the health and wellbeing debate here in the UK.

Public Health Minister Gillian Merron launches our Recipe for Change report

During the year, we continued to promote the importance of nutrition information based on Guideline Daily Amounts – hosting events here in the UK for key opinion formers; developing new consumer advertising campaigns which ran in GP surgeries; and successfully maintaining a strong coalition of industry partners.

In addition, we have actively supported CIAA's campaigning efforts targeting the European Parliament and European Council. FDF and its members take immense pride from the fact that more than 90 companies are now providing GDA information on the front of food packs here in the UK.

Our work has also been replicated across all 27 EU Member States with GDA labelling now the primary method used.

We continue to support Business in the Community's pan-industry campaign on workplace wellbeing – promoting the importance of this issue within our sector, developing new guidance for employers and highlighting the incredible achievements of our members.

As part of our wide-ranging advocacy programme, we have run a number of briefings at major events during the year ranging from the annual British Dietetic Association conference to BITC's Health and Work Summit.

Policy makers have remained active on the health and wellbeing agenda and FDF has ensured that industry's voice is heard by those running the Government's obesity strategy. We have also worked constructively with the Public Health Commission, which developed a series of recommendations for the Conservative Party. We are also encouraged by the progress of the Change4Life social marketing campaign and the positive contribution being made by a number of our leading members.

During the year, FDF's technical teams engaged with Food Standards Agency officials to ensure they understood the technical challenges of reformulation ahead of the publication of the Agency's recommendations on saturated fat and energy reductions. We have also co-ordinated pan-industry responses to the FSA's consultations.

Meanwhile, FDF has worked closely with the Department of Health on the development of the Healthier Food Mark, which is designed to cover public sector procurement in England. We encouraged the Department to establish an Industry Steering Group to oversee the development of the Mark and have played an active role in ensuring that the criteria on nutrition and sustainability are pragmatic and workable for food suppliers.