Foodaware: the Consumers’ Food Group

Minutes of the twelfth meeting – held on 29 April 2004
At the Food Standards Agency, Aviation House, Kingsway, London

Welcome and apologies for absence
Minutes of the last meeting
EU and UK Update and campaigns
Salt
FSA Review of priorities
Public health and promotion of food to children
Updates - olive oil, materials and articles in contact with food, and OTM (over thirty month rule)
Any other business


PRESENT

Members:

Paul Allen - European Food Law Association (UK)
Erica Bargeman - European Union of Women
Jonathan Clogstoun-Willmott - Age Concern Scotland
Margaret Foss - National Federation of Women’s Institutes
Sue Garland _ Good Housekeeping
Dr. John Godfrey - ERICA, FSA Consumer Committee
Catherine Humphries - The Cooperative Group
Susan Knox, Chair - Meat Hygiene Policy Forum, Enforcement Liaison Group
Margaret Langley - Committee on Mutagenicity of Chemicals & Carcinogenicity of Chemicals in Food, Consumer Products and the Environment
Penny McNeill - General Consumer Council for N.I.
Helen Millar - National Consumer Federation
Stella Nicholas - National Consumer Federation
Dilwen Phillips - Advisory Committee for Wales
Dave Pickering - Trading Standards Institute
Jacquie Salfield - Institute of Consumer Sciences, Committee on Toxicity of Chemical in Food
Shree Om Parkash Sharma National Council of Hindu Temples, UK
Katy Waters - National Childbirth Trust
Alma Williams - EU Sheepmeat Advisory Committee and ECOSOC
Anne Wilson - Meat Hygiene Advisory Committee

Ann Davison - Manager, Member EU Economic and Social Committee
Lucy Harris - UK Co-ordinator
Jane Jeffreys - Administrator

Judy Brander - National Council of Women
Maria Carlton - National Association of PTAs
Dorothy Craig - Veterinary Residues Committee
Laura Hughes - Girl Guides
Mike Jobson - Trading Standards Institute
Dr. A Majid Katme - Muslim Council of Britain
Mary Lawton - Scottish Consumer Council
Jeanette Longfield - Sustain
Tom MacMillan - Food Ethics Council
Sylvia Owen - Advisory Committee on Pesticides
Sue Payne - National Consumer Federation
Pamela Pollock - Townswomen’s Guilds
Barbara Saunders - UK Expert Group on Vitamins and Minerals
Michelle Smyth - Consumers’ Association
John Verrall - Veterinary Products Committee
Grace Wedekind - International Council of Women

Susan reported that she would be attending a meeting of the Farm Assurance Working Group on Tuesday 11 May, organised by the Farm Animal Welfare Council.

UK report
Lucy explained that this paper summarized the main activities of Foodaware since the last meeting and would form the basis of the quarterly ‘deliverables’ report sent to FSA. Many of the policy papers mentioned were in preparation and would be discussed under separate agenda items. The current list of FSA consultations was briefly discussed and Lucy agreed to check these and advise on which Foodaware could and should follow-up. Alma Williams mentioned a recent COT meeting she had attended at which the problem of ‘acid’ sweets was discussed.

EU Update
This report was discussed briefly. Paul Allen asked whether it would be possible to produce another such update, giving the state-of-play on relevant dossiers, before the European Parliament dissolved itself prior to the forthcoming elections.

Margaret Foss mentioned a new cookery book to be published by NFWI in January 2005. The focus of the book was low-fat but salt had also been left out of all but a few recipes. They wanted to emphasise that good recipes could be produced with little or no salt. Dilwen Phillips raised concerns about savoury flavourings such as stock cubes, gravy granules, soya sauce etc. She felt attention should be drawn to these including through better labelling. It was agreed that mention of this should be added to the Foodaware paper. The use of herbs was suggested as an alternative to salt or salty flavourings.

Jacquie Salfield said she had written a paper some years ago on Salt in the Diet for the MAFF consumer panel. She said she would forward a copy to Foodaware. She felt the strategy of gradual reduction of salt use was most effective. Paul Allen added that, although it was unpopular with producers, legislation could be used to enforce a phased reduction in use.

Jonathon Clogstoun-Willmot raised concerns about the reduction in taste with age and the fact that older people often used more salt (and sugar) in order to gain more taste. This group needed particular support in making dietary changes and finding alternatives to salt for adding flavour. Penny McNeill added that the GCCNI had prepared a paper that included data on age groups, social groups and regional differences in relation to salt intake. She agreed a phased approach should be used to reduce intake. She gave a copy of the paper to Foodaware for information.

Alma raised the issue of sodium chloride versus salt and how to label and/or convert these. Clear definitions were needed for ‘salt’, sodium chloride, ’lo-salt’ etc. Many so-called ‘healthy’ foods in fact had a high salt content, e.g. breakfast cereals. Others highlighted the problem of high use of salt in hospital and other institutional catering. Katy Waters mentioned ‘salt in a bag’ crisps and wondered if separate salt could be used in other products; the advantage being that consumers had greater control over how much they added. It could also be used to raise awareness of salt intake.

Sue Garland offered to raised these concerns when she met the Health Minister in early May.

Action: It was agreed that the Foodaware paper would be revised in the light of these comments (and the additional papers provided). The revised paper would also be sent to CASH for their comments.

• working with food industry on selective and specific campaigns, for example a ‘fat audit’ of products leading to efforts to reduce fat levels;
• encouraging the FSA to commit to legislating in certain areas (this might encourage industry to make voluntary changes in the meantime);
• drawing attention to how Finland had effected significant change in the nation’s health in just five years - what lessons could be learnt from them?
• encouraging the FSA to work more closely with, and put pressure on, the Departments of Health, Education and Agriculture;
• working with the media on certain issues.

This consultation included a number of questions, for example, concerning food choices and how they were made, the kind of support needed to make communities healthier, the role of regulation, and what voluntary and community organisations could do. Time did not allow for going through these in detail at the meeting. However, it was agreed that a draft Foodaware response, based on existing Foodaware policy, would be circulated on the list-serve for members’ comments. Ann agreed to check whether the consultation paper covered Wales, Scotland and N. Ireland but it was thought it covered England only.

Ann noted that several government departments were now taking an interest in the promotion of foods to children. The FSA was consulting with a deadline for comments of 21 June. Ann explained that the draft Foodaware paper tabled (CFG 09/04) had been developed using members’ comments at the last meeting. It had been given a new reference number as it had changed substantially from the first version commissioned in 2003. In the discussion that followed, the NCC work on nutritional profiling of foods (which are ‘healthy’ or ‘unhealthy’) was noted as a very useful contribution to the debate. Overall, members felt that the new version of the paper was much improved and it was agreed subject to some additional comments and amendments being incorporated.

Action: Draft response to the DH consultation ‘Choosing Health’ to be circulated on list-serve for comment. Final version to be submitted by end of May. Draft paper (CFG 09/04) on promotion of food to children to be amended and sent to FSA (and DH) in time for June deadline.

Action: Use Foodaware paper to lobby further on the issue of olive oil.

Materials in contact with food
Ann reported that the European Parliament was rushing through the proposal before the forthcoming elections. Thanks to Foodaware, concerns had been raised about ‘intelligent’ packaging that could mask spoilage such as vitamin loss. A reference to this had been agreed in Parliament and an amendment to the text adopted which stated that the packaging ‘must not mask spoilage’.

Ann also informed members that the dossiers on health claims and food fortification were still outstanding and would not be adopted before the European elections. However, the proposals on official controls and the hygiene package had gone through. These latter were considered priorities given the accession of the 10 new EU member countries.

BSE/OTM
Lucy told members that the review and lifting of the BSE over-thirty month rule was on hold awaiting an official response from the Department of Health which had raised concerns with the proposals. No further action could be taken until these concerns had been answered by FSA and/or Defra.

Ann reported that the drive to expand the Foodaware membership had been going well with several new members joining in recent months as full or observer members. The focus might now shift to being more regional, for example, by holding a pilot regional Foodaware meeting/conference attended by local representatives of member organisations. This could be linked to a regional FSA Board meeting.

Finally, Susan Knox confirmed the meeting dates for the rest of 2004 as being 15 July and 4 November. The location for these meetings would be confirmed nearer the time.

The meeting closed at 4 pm.