Health & Safety Update (May 2010)

Food Standards Agency, (FSA) welcomes introduction of Healthier Food

The FSA has welcomed progress made by companies representing more than five thousand UK pubs to help their customers make healthier choices.
The chains - Whitbread, Punch Pub Company, Marston's Inns and Taverns, Greene King and JD Wetherspoon, all made their first commitments to healthy eating in February 2009 and were asked by the Agency to review and extend them each year.
The first review is now complete and progress includes:

• salt levels have been reduced by all the pub chains, with many products now meeting FSA 2010/2012 targets
• all companies are working to reduce saturated fat levels in their products by changing the ingredients and recipes and using healthier cooking techniques such as rotisserie cooking
• companies are looking to provide portions which meet their customers' needs
• ensuring the portion sizes and nutritional content of their children's menus are appropriate and offering more choice, such as 'light bites', for adults.

Each company has now set itself further targets for the forthcoming year involving - better quality procurement, good menu planning, improved kitchen practice and consumer information.