Sainsbury slams knee-jerk responses to obesity

Sainsbury chief executive Justin King has strenuously attacked “well-intentioned, but ultimately flawed, regulation” resulting from the government’s need to ‘be seen to be doing something’ about rising obesity levels.

King delivered the keynote speech at the Campden & Chorleywood Food Research Association’s (CCFRA’s) annual open day last week. In his address, he said that legislation “should be based on sound science and actual evidence, rather than the latest headline in a national newspaper”

He added: “It feels as though the calls for ‘something to be done’ - whether from the media, politicians or non-government bodies - are gaining credence despite the facts and figures.”

This was particularly in evidence when it came to advertising high salt, fat and sugar products to children, added King. He blasted the Food Standards Agency’s controversial nutrient profiling model underpinning new rules on broadcast advertising as unscientific and unfair.

The government had failed to recognise the significant moves the industry had already made on a voluntary basis to restrict advertising of so-called junk foods, he claimed. “Again, the industry had responded massively to consumers, and yet the calls that ‘something must be done’ won the day. And Ofcom has been asked to bring forward its review of the current ban with a view to imposing even tighter restrictions. There is, of course, little evidence to support a ban on ads anyway.”

Some of Sainsbury’s own adverts had fallen foul of the “flawed” nutrient-profiling model, he added. “Some of our recipes use ingredients that are classified as high in fat, sugar and salt, even though they contain valuable nutrients and contribute to five-a-day.” The draconian rules, he said, were symptomatic of a wider problem: “there is too much focus on so-called good and bad foods when the real issue - most agree - is diets.”

Recent headlines about the removal of trans-fats were another “example of the government crying out for the food industry to do something that - in large part - we had already done”, he added.

“In fact, because of different production processes to those in North America, there were never the same health problems with trans-fats in the UK as there were in the US. Consumption of trans-fats has also been declining over the last 30 years anyway.” Yet this “did not stop the government calling for something to be done”, he said,

As for reformulation, “rather than constantly requiring the industry to agree targets to reformulate products with less salt or saturated fat - something we have been doing for years”, said King, “I would like to see the government investing more time, money and effort in educating consumers through powerful communication campaigns about healthier lifestyles.”

King, who used his speech to issue a ‘wish list’ for government and its agencies, also called for the government to devote as much energy to improving the nutritional profile of products sold through the foodservice sector as it had on food sold in supermarkets.

Crucially, he said, the government’s approach to the development of regulation and legislation “should be proportionate as well as evidence-based”. He added: “In passing, I would note that the Competition Commission’s recommendation for a supermarket ombudsman meets neither of these criteria.”

He also expressed “real concerns” about the Food Standards Agency’s Scores on the Doors scheme, which helps consumers discover how hygienic and well-managed food preparation is at takeaways, clubs, pubs and restaurants.

He added: “I will support anything that improves food safety and leads to better and more accurate information being given to consumers. But I am concerned about the confusion surrounding Scores on the Doors and the inconsistency involved in marking. I therefore remain to be convinced that it will help consumers. This is very disappointing for an organisation that has gained much public respect and trust through a sound evidence and science based approach.”

While commodity prices were rising, “vigorous competition between the supermarkets has meant that much cost inflation has not been passed through to consumers”, claimed King. “Compared to the 1970s, we are not seeing rampant inflation and the world economy is probably in better shape to cope with these pressures.” He also pointed out that household spending on food had fallen from 20% of household expenditure in the 1980s to “around 10% now”, despite the rising prices.

While the credit crunch had put shoppers’ finances under strain, said King, “I do not believe that in the face of increased pressure on family budgets that consumers will only be interested in price at the expense of quality and provenance.”