Children Take Centre Stage In Healthy Eating Debates

29 May 2015 --- The role of healthy food in schools has again been highlighted this week, in both the European parliament and in the UK, where it was found that 75% of fruit-based products aimed at children carried more refined sugar than traditional style sweets.

The European government is reviewing its Schools Milk and Schools Fruit scheme, both of which have benefited 30m children every year throughout Europe since their inception in 1997 and 2009 respectively. However, some EU members now want to combine the two policies to ensure that children who are not exposed to sufficient healthy food get the best possible opportunities. They are also keen to secure EU funding for health education and food waste policies.

Around 30% of all school aged children are obese in Europe, a worrying rate that is rising every year. The most common causes of obesity, which can lead to health problems including heart disease, type-2 diabetes and some cancers, are increased intake of calorific processed foods, particularly refined sugars and soft drinks. Many children do not consume the recommended levels of fruit and vegetables, an important source of vitamins, minerals and fibre.

A number of MEPs support the move to combine the milk and fruit schemes and this week voted to allow member states more powers to combine them. There has been some talk about how much the EU should intervene in the schemes, however, with some MEPs questioning the need for EU involvement and economic help, citing the policy as a local one, which should receive local funding. Other members feel that the EU has a role to play in funding the education of children in matters of health in order to create a healthy society.

The role of the food industry has also been under attack this week. The UK’s Action on Sugar revealed the huge amount of hidden sugars in seemingly ‘healthy’ fruit snacks aimed at children, over 85% of products surveyed (80 of the 94 products) contain more sugars than Haribo Starmix (47g/100g) confectionary per 100g – with some containing over 4 teaspoons per portion.

Many of these products are used in children’s school fruit snack boxes by parents who are led to believe they are healthy due to their fruit content.

Of all the products surveyed, nearly all (99%) would receive a ‘red’ colour coded warning on the label for high sugars per 100g. In addition, misleading packaging claims state these fruit snacks can contribute to ‘1 of your 5’ portions of fruit and vegetables a day. New school food standards in the UK do not permit schools to offer children these products because they are categorised as confectionary. Therefore Action on Sugar feels that food manufacturers must adhere to the same standards to protect our children’s health.

Katharine Jenner, campaign director at Action on Sugar says: “Parents find it hard enough to know what is ‘healthy’ without food manufacturers confusing matters with misleading claims. Whole, unprocessed fruit is healthier than processed fruit snacks and fruit juice drinks, as it contains vitamins, minerals, water and fibre, and does not cause the devastating tooth decay we see in young children today.”

Kawther Hashem, nutritionist at Action on Sugar says: “It’s high time food manufacturers stop adding unnecessary sugars and calories to already sweet products. Check the label and if in doubt - eat fresh fruit. Ready sliced fruit in snack pots are better than processed fruit snacks.

“To eat the same number of grams of sugars in a processed fruit snack (18g) your child will have to eat about 240g of strawberries – that’s equivalent to a whole punnet.”

Action on Sugar is also urging parents to provide children with fresh fruit and vegetables as snacks, instead of the sugar-laden processed fruit snacks.

Graham MacGregor, Professor of Cardiovascular Medicine at Queen Mary University of London and Chairman of Action on Sugar, says: “The new Conservative government has a tremendous opportunity to take control of public health and reduce the huge burden on the NHS caused by the pandemic of obesity and type 2 diabetes, linked to high sugar intakes. This survey illustrates the fact that the food industry is the cause of this pandemic, by taking something as natural as fruit and ruining it by adding sugar.

“The new Health Secretary, Jeremy Hunt MP, must set sugar reduction targets across the whole of the food industry to gradually reduce the amount of sugar they add to our food. If the food industry does not respond then punitive taxes on these unhealthy products need to be imposed.”

Responding to Action on Sugar's children's fruit snack survey, Barbara Gallani, Director of Regulation, Science & Health at the UK Food and Drink Federation, said: “Dried and pureed fruit and vegetables count as part of your '5-a-day' under Government guidance, alongside fresh, tinned and frozen. Industry developed best practice guidance on 'five-a-day' labelling of composite foods, which is contributing to the current wider Government review."

"About two thirds of the fruit snacks surveyed contain no added sugars and of the third that do, far from being 'hidden, this is clearly listed on-pack in the ingredients panel."

"Everyone knows that fruit contains sugars and the total sugar content of these products is clearly and consistently listed in the nutrition information table. Parents can use this information to compare and choose between products.”