Exclusive: Government to push new food and drink health campaign

Published: 14 July, 2009

The Department of Health (DoH) is calling upon the food and drink industries to work in partnership with the government in an attempt to tackle harmful drinkers and the rise of obesity levels in the UK, www.harpers.co.uk can exclusively reveal.

It plans to hold a meeting at the Royal Festival Hall, London on July 20 discuss the launch of the 'Coalition for Better Health,' an initiative to be coordinated by the department.

The meeting is expected to be attended by key alcohol and food companies, supermarket retailers and industry trade associations. Hugh Taylor, the DoH permanent secretary of state and the chief medical officer, Sir Liam Donaldson are expected to lead the debate.

In a confidential document seen by www.harpers.co.uk, the DoH wants the industries to come up with innovative ways to educate consumers about food and drink. It also wants to see more health activity in the workplace and to find ways to get two million people exercising by 2012.

"Over the next two months, we will be setting up Leadership Groups on each of these areas," the document said.

"These groups will convene two to four times a year for half-day working sessions, with the first meetings taking place this autumn.

"Each Leadership Group will report back on what they have achieved and taken forward. We will also support group members to champion the work of the Coalition in their own sectors," the document said.

The industry will expected to chair the groups and the DoH said it will provide venues, resources and secretariat support.

Constellation Europe, Diageo, Tesco, Sainsbury's, The British Beer and Pub Association, Wine and Spirit Trade Association and British Retail Consortium are among those invited to attend.

An industry source told www.harpers.co.uk: "It feels as though the government is copying the Conservatives who commissioned a Public Health Committee report at the beginning of the month.

"The cynics would say they need to be shown to be doing something before the election starts in a few months."

The Public Health Committee report, chaired by Dave Lewis of Unilever, recommended that industry, health bodies and the government should work together to enhance the nation's health by improving diet, increasing physical activity and cutting harmful drinking.

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