Commons Sense

House of Commons · Westminster Hall

Ultra-processed Food

21 June 2023 · 7 other contributors · 9,181 words

Opened by Suzanne Webb Con Stourbridge

Responding minister: Neil O'Brien

NHSEnvironment

Summarised by AI from the official record, so it can contain mistakes.

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Suzanne Webb raised concerns about ultra-processed food in Westminster Hall. A government minister responded.

Key points

  • Suzanne Webb raised concerns about the health impacts of ultra-processed foods, including links to obesity, heart disease, and cancer.
  • Webb cited statistics indicating 64% of adults and 40% of children aged 10 to 11 in England are obese or overweight.
  • The minister discussed government initiatives like calorie labelling and a 150 million annual investment in healthy food schemes for children.

Key requests to Government

Webb urges the Government to introduce an advertising watershed before 2025 and address misleading health claims on food products. She suggests that manufacturers need to take responsibility for their products' impact on public health.

How the debate unfolded

MPs spoke in turn to share their views and ask questions. Here's what each person said.

Opened the debate

Suzanne Webb Con Stourbridge

Suzanne Webb is deeply concerned about the impact of ultra-processed food on health outcomes, particularly obesity. She notes that these foods dominate supermarket shelves and are linked to heart disease, kidney and liver failure, cancer, depression, and obesity. According to statistics from the Dimbleby report, 64% of adults and 40% of children aged 10 to 11 in England are obese or overweight. Webb highlights that ultra-processed foods make up half of total dietary energy intake in the UK and more than 60% for children. She also cites a staggering loss of 1.5 million years of healthy life due to diet-related illnesses annually, with obesity costing the NHS £6.5 billion yearly.

Other contributors (7)
  • Andrew Gwynne Ind Gorton and Denton

    He commended the debate on ultra-processed foods, highlighting that diets high in these products can lead to poor health outcomes. He criticised the Government's delay in banning junk food advertisements targeted at children and their scrapping of the health disparities White Paper as steps backwards. Gwynne asked what action beyond pilots the Government is taking to address rising obesity rates.

  • Carol Monaghan SNP Glasgow North West

    I congratulate the hon. Member on securing an important debate about ultra-processed food and argues that such food is highly addictive and should be regulated similarly to other harmful substances like cigarettes and alcohol. She intervened to highlight that while sugar has been removed from soft drinks, other harmful ingredients like aspartame have taken its place. She suggested that the levy on sugary drinks has not impacted childhood obesity and proposed looking at alternative measures. Highlighted the difficulties faced by obese children in exercising and the economic burden of ultra-processed foods, noting they are expensive.

  • Greg Knight Con Welwyn Hatfield

    I congratulate my hon. Friend on securing the debate and suggests that ultra-processed food should carry a health warning similar to cigarette packets, with clear typeface for visibility.

  • Jim Shannon DUP Strangford

    Made a brief intervention regarding ordering practices without specific context or statistics. During interventions, Jim Shannon asked Suzanne Webb about her stance on multi-buy deals and the importance of clear labelling regarding food content. He shared his personal experience with diabetes and emphasized the importance of understanding what constitutes ultra-processed food, noting that such foods account for around 25% to 60% of daily energy intake in many countries. He cited studies linking these foods to higher risks of obesity, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and some cancers.

  • Jo Gideon LD Hastings and Rye

    Concerned about the high percentage of ultra-processed food in UK diets, Jo Gideon highlighted that UPFs are linked to health issues such as cancer and obesity. She noted that these foods, despite being marketed as healthy or ethical, contribute significantly to environmental degradation and biodiversity loss due to their industrial production methods.

  • Maggie Throup Con Erewash

    Welcomed the importance of tackling obesity and discussed ultra-processed foods, which are high in fat, salt, and sugar. Cited a report arguing that obesity is akin to smoking and proposed interventions similar to those used for tobacco reduction. Intervened by asking whether the Government are still committed to halving child obesity by 2030.

  • Martyn Day SNP Linlithgow and East Falkirk

    Expressed concern about the health crisis caused by ultra-processed foods, noting that over half of calories consumed in the UK come from such products. Cited research linking these foods to poor health outcomes and early death. Emphasised the need for a sustainable food strategy targeting high-sugar and ultra-processed foods. Highlighted Scotland's high obesity levels among OECD countries, with children from deprived backgrounds almost three times as likely to be at risk of obesity compared to those from less deprived backgrounds. Noted that 70% of households are now worried about food and drink costs due to inflation.

Government Response

Neil O'Brien

The minister discussed the government's approach to tackling obesity by regulating less healthy foods through measures such as calorie labelling in cafés and restaurants. He highlighted spending £150 million annually on healthy food schemes for children and young people, introducing an advertising watershed in 7 years, and committing £40 million towards weight loss drugs. The minister acknowledged that there is no universally agreed definition of ultra-processed food but emphasised the importance of the NOVA definition while acknowledging its limitations. He stated that SACN is conducting a review to assess evidence on processed foods and their impact on health. Additionally, he mentioned aligning diets with existing dietary recommendations depicted in the Eatwell Guide to deliver considerable population health benefits and healthcare savings.

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