The Prime Minister has called for stronger partnerships between Government and the food services industry to help enable consumers to make healthier choices when eating out of the home.

A report published by the Cabinet Office’s Strategy Unit, Food Matters – Towards a Strategy for the 21st Century, sets out Government aims to better integrate the different elements of the food system and its impact economically, socially and environmentally; as well as working with the public, food chain businesses, other stakeholders and other tiers of government to put a new food policy framework in place.

The Food Standards Agency has outlined its current work with the catering sector and future plans to encourage this part of the industry to help consumers eat more healthily and make informed choices out of home.

Dame Deirdre Hutton, Chair of the Food Standards Agency said: 'We welcome this important report, which emphasises how critical our work is with both the retailers and the eating out of home marketplace. We are used to seeing nutritional information in supermarkets and we would like to enable people to make the same informed choices when they eat out as well. This information is not universally available at present and as people tend to eat out more regularly now, we want to encourage catering businesses to do more to help their customers make healthier choices.

'However, it's about more than just providing information - we're working with major contract caterers, restaurant, pub and sandwich chains to encourage them to offer a wider range of great tasting healthier options including looking at the ingredients they buy and the way they prepare their meals. We need to find something to suit what is a very diverse sector and that provides people with a simple and effective way to understand what is in their food and which are the healthier options.'

The Food Standards Agency (FSA) is expanding its work with the food service sector and consumers to find out what information people would find helpful when they eat out. The FSA will also continue its work with catering businesses to encourage them to reduce levels of salt, fat and sugar in their dishes, and to provide a wide range of healthier options on the menu.

UK consumers are eating out more frequently. According to the British Hospitality Association (BHA), the catering sector has seen its sales figures triple between 1981 and 2005, while 27% of household expenditure on food is spent on eating out (DEFRA 2006 Family Food survey indicates 32%). In addition, over 1 billion meals each year are provided by schools, hospitals and other parts of the public sector according to BHA trends and statistics.

The foods we eat out of home are on average higher in fat, saturates, salt and sugar than the foods we eat at home. A recent FSA snapshot survey found:

                      85% of people agreed with the statement that restaurants, pubs and cafes have a responsibility to make it clear what is in the food they serve.

                      In addition, when asked where respondents would expect to see nutritional information for it to be most useful, 81% of people said they would like
to see it at the point when they order food, such as on the menu in a restaurant, or visible when they are buying a sandwich or a muffin in a coffee shop or cafe.

                      In contrast, only 2% of respondents said they would find it useful on company websites.

Some parts of the catering sector are doing good work and providing information about the nutritional content of their food. However, this information is often not visible and, therefore, not as useful for consumers. More progress could be made in this area so that people have honest information at their fingertips to make informed decisions when they eat out.

Following new legislation in New York City, chain restaurants with 15 or more outlets must display calorie contents on menus, menu boards or food tags. The move was made to fight the increasing obesity problem. In the UK, the Government has had success taking a voluntary approach with industry on work such as salt reformulation, and this is the route that will be taken initially with the catering sector.