Nutrition Strategy Steering Group

To encourage the delivery of commitments from principal partners (industry, government departments, agencies, and non-government organisations) to progress key strategic dietary health objectives, including those in the Government's White Paper on Choosing Health.

The key initiatives to be considered are:

• reformulation of foodstuffs
• front of pack signpost labelling
• promotion of food to children
• the Healthy Living Social Marketing Campaign

The group will:

• aim to meet twice a year
• be chaired by public health minister Dawn Primarolo with Dame Deirdre Hutton (Chair FSA) deputising as necessary
• co-opt additional members onto the group on an ad hoc basis to inform its decisions while maintaining a balance of interests
• establish working groups as appropriate

• reformulation of foodstuffs: making convenience foods healthier and making healthier options mainstream
• front-of-pack signpost labelling: providing 'at a glance' nutritional information on levels of fat, saturated fat, salt and sugar, including the independent evaluation of front of pack nutrition signpost schemes in use in the UK market.
• promotion of food to children: working to achieve changes in the way food is promoted, so as to rebalance the imbalance between healthy foods and healthier alternatives
• the Healthy Living Social Marketing Campaign: seeking to tackle obesity through a combination of increased physical activity and the promotion of a balanced diet. A research case study is available on the engage website.

The group is jointly chaired by Public Health Minister, Dawn Primarolo, and FSA Chair, Deirdre Hutton. Members are drawn from a range of stakeholder organisations. The group will meet twice a year and draw on additional expertise when required.

The following have been appointed members of the NSSG:

Gavin Neath, Global CSR Director of Unilever UK
Salman Amin, President of PepsiCo UK & Ireland
Steven D Esom, Director, Food Division, Marks and Spencer
David Cheesewright, Chief Operating Officer, Asda
Sir Alexander Macara, President of the National Heart Forum
Peter Vicary-Smith, Chief Executive of Which?
Justin King, Chief Executive of Sainsbury's
Lord Whitty, Chairman of the National Consumer Council
Ian El-Mokadem, Managing Director of Compass

The Food Standards Agency