Health and Vitality

Ready meals not fit for flexitarians
Meat still dominates the ready meal aisles of UK supermarkets, according to an analysis by the Eating Better campaign. In a survey of 1,350 ready meals, only 3% were plant-based (without meat, fish, dairy or egg), whilst 77% had meat…
Sugary drinks sales slashed at hospitals
The proportion of sugary drinks sold on NHS premises has been cut from 15.6% to 8.7%. Last year, Simon Stevens, NHS England chief executive, challenged trusts to reduce the sale of sugar-filled drinks to 10% or less of those bought…
Childhood obesity plan: is this one sequel that’s better than the original?
The second helping of the government’s strategy is an improvement on Chapter 1 but still leaves big questions unanswered. By David Burrows. When the government published Chapter 1 of its childhood obesity strategy in August 2016, the reviews were not…
Scots urged to say no to super-sized meal deals
Almost one in two Scots (45%) don’t think about the extra calories from upsizing – going large, buying meal deals or adding sides and extras. Research by Food Standards Scotland, launched at the start of its #NoToUpsizing campaign, also found…
Climate change will restrict availability of healthy foods
Global production of vegetables and legumes could be significantly reduced as temperatures rise and water availability falls. A research team led by the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine (LSHTM) conducted a systematic review of all the available evidence…
Public struggle to eat healthily at work
People are completely baffled about how to eat healthily, and particularly struggle when they are at work or university. A poll of 500 adults by the British Nutrition Foundation (BNF) found that 68% are “motivated to eat healthily to control…
What percentage of products are healthy?
Food businesses have raised their game on nutrition this year. However, fewer than a third of products can be classified as ‘healthy’. Inge Kauer reports. What we eat and drink affects our health and wellbeing in the short- and long-term.…
Acrylamide – what you need to know
New European regulations to reduce levels of acrylamide in food came into force last month. However, guidance for member states still hasn’t been finalised, which has left caterers confused about their responsibilities in relation to sampling and the foods covered.…
Sugar tax will help poor eat more healthily – study
Taxes on sugar-sweetened drinks and snack foods may benefit poorer households the most, according to new research. Using data from 13 countries, the experts show that changing the price of unhealthy products alters consumption across the board, yet the impact…
Funding boost for healthy food of the future
A new €60m (£52m) venture capital fund will support “game-changing” companies working on everything from lab-grown meat to personalised nutrition. Five Seasons Ventures, the new venture capital firm behind the fund, said its focus is on “early-stage companies developing technological…