FSA – Consumer Awareness Activities on Saturated Fat

FSA called a meeting of stakeholders to discuss raising consumer awareness about saturated fat and its impact on health and its presence in foods. Many consumers may be aware that saturated fat is to be avoided but most do not understand why or how to reduce intakes. The meeting considered the strategy that FSA should deploy in partnership with the food industry to alter this.

FSA wishes to explore routes for the most effective consumer awareness activity. This activity would reflect their four key proposals:
• improving consumer awareness and understanding of healthy eating, with particular focus on the impact of saturated fat on health
• encouraging promotion and uptake of healthier options, such as 'reduced fat' products and the retailers – 'healthier' ranges
• encouraging accessibility of smaller food portion sizes
• encouraging voluntary reformulation of mainstream products to reduce saturated fat and energy
Current population average intakes of saturated fat (13.3%) exceed public health recommendations (less than 11%), and the rising levels of obesity indicate that energy (calorie) intakes currently exceed energy requirements. Both these conditions raise serious health concerns, particularly in relation to cardiovascular disease (CVD), some cancers and type II diabetes.
All four proposals above require the Agency to continue to work in partnership with its stakeholders, including health departments, food industry (which encompasses the whole food chain including food producers, manufacturers, retailers and suppliers) and other non-government organisations

FSA proposed a three pronged attack on consumer awareness:-
1 Shock – to get attention, raise the profile and health effects.
2 Relate – to help audience relate facts to their own diet/ behaviour – raise consciousness about the need for behavioural change.
3 Arm – to provide the audience with tools to change their habits.

The meeting heard representatives of Waitrose, Unilever and Tesco reveal how they had reformulated products to meet consumer demands. Moira Howe of Waitrose said that they “provide the tools to help people make the choices”. In response to the suggestion that FSA use shock campaigns to reach consumers with their message, Waitrose felt that this was not necessary and not always the most successful route.

Others pointed out that it was mainstream products, targeting 'hard to reach' groups, that require reformulation.

There are problems with the launch of consumer awareness activity that could possibly start in January 2009, in as much SFMTA would have no messages to promote. We have little knowledge of the saturated fat content of butchers' meat products and even less of products that have been reformulated to take account of health considerations to reduce it in their products. Consequently SFMTA would have nothing positive to contribute to the programme.

FSA Scotland is keen to assist and to start a dialogue with SFMTA and seasoning / recipe suppliers to develop changes and promote consumer awareness. They will start by examining the results of the 2007 Abertay Survey into salt and fat content in butchers' beef sausages.

The aim would be to articulate the recipe changes being made in other sectors, to demonstrate that reformulation is not necessarily bad for business and to encourage butchers to react to changes. A paper exercise could establish the nutritional value of meat products and there is no reason why this could not be used to promote butchers' meat products and give them a competitive advantage.

FSA accepts that choice is paramount and that it is up to them to promote healthy choices. This of course has the support of health policies and will without doubt be central to the Scottish National Food Policy when it is finalised in the summer of 2008.