Please click to view the full plan: Action on Sugar and Action on Salt Evidence-Based Plan [PDF 473KB]
Action on Sugar and Action on Salt have launched a combined updated seven-point evidence-based plan to prevent obesity, type 2 diabetes, hypertension, cardiovascular disease and cancer in the UK.
Summary of seven evidenced-based actions
- Reduce calorie intake by incremental reformulation:
- To achieve a 50% reduction in sugar content across all products
- To achieve a 20% reduction in energy-density in unhealthy food and drink products (focused on saturated fat)
- Reduce salt intake by incremental reformulation to below 6g/day (adults), and less for children.
- Escalate the Soft Drinks Industry Levy and introduce a confectionary levy
- Sugar-sweetened drinks - the current threshold of 5g and 8g per 100ml should be slowly reduced and the amount of levy paid slowly escalated.
- Confectionery - a similar levy should be introduced for confectionery, with the opportunity to reformulate based not on sugar content, but on energy density.
- Ensure only healthy products (not high in fat, salt and sugar) to be marketed, promoted and advertised.
- Ensure all products sold and provided in the public sector, e.g. schools, hospitals, meet strict nutritional standards.
- Make uniform colour-coded labelling on front of pack mandatory on all products sold in retail and out-of-home, with stricter criteria for sugar.
- Ensure the food and drink industry increases fruit and vegetable content of products through reformulation, promotion and marketing.
