Winners of election 'must face down food industry to make products healthier'

Britain’s political parties have been urged to show “ courage” by forcing food producers to make their products healthier, as new polling shows two-thirds of voters back the move.

- Denis Campbell

Compelling food manufacturers to strip out large amounts of fat, salt and sugar would help “denormalise” the routine consumption of unhealthy food, said Sarah Woolnough , the chief executive of the King’s Fund .

She challenged the Tories and Labour to face down the “commercial self-interest” of the food and advertising industries, who are likely to oppose mandatory reformulation, in order to tackle the rising tide of dietrelated illnesses such as cancer, heart disease and dementia.

Being o verweight poses such a huge threat to both health and economic prosperity that the UK needs to “be on a war footing” and take radical action against them, inspired by the bold measures that cut the number of smokers, she added.