4th January 2007

Manufacturers unite to support obesity fight

Nation' leading food and drink brands launch advertising campaign as part of initiative to encourage Britons to make healthier eating decisions

On 8 January, the UK's leading food and drink companies will launch a £4m advertising campaign that aims to help people make better-informed decisions about the food they eat.  This is just one strand in an 18-month campaign – the biggest joint initiative ever undertaken by the food industry – to help Government meet pledges it made in its “Choosing Health” White Paper in 2004.

Called, "know what’s going inside you," the TV, online  and print campaign – which runs between January and August - explains how people can use Guideline Daily Amount (GDA) labels to assess the calories, sugars, fat, saturates and salt that are suggested for a balanced diet.  To coincide with this, 21 food and drink companies plus three major retailers  have added GDA labels to over 10,000 product lines, amounting to nearly 40% of UK retail food and drink packs . 

The participants back this labelling and advertising approach based on five factors:  people find the labels easy to use; they are based on Government guidelines; nutrition experts have been supportive of them; people can use them to assess actual portions of food, rather than 100g blocks; and sales evidence from Tesco indicates that they encourage people to make healthier choices. 

Food industry GDA campaign director, Jane Holdsworth said: "This isn’t just about a label, it's about a lifestyle. We have made it simple to compare what's inside thousands of everyday foods so you can choose what best suits your diet.  The adage that metaphorically you can only compare 'apples with apples' is no longer true - now can you compare apples with bananas, or cereals with yoghurts, if you wish.  With this power you can make some simple, effective and healthy decisions about how you eat."

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For further information please call the GDA press office on  +44 (0)20 7820 9764