Children's Nutrition Action Plan - The Food Commission

Tom Murray
Head of the Nutrition Division, Food Standards Agency
Tom Murray, newly appointed head of the Nutrition Division of the Food Standards Agency,
spoke about opportunities for the FSA to influence policy on improving children’s nutrition
Tom Murray emphasised the Food Standards Agency’s commitments to openness and
transparency, to developing strategies in consultation with stakeholders, and to publishing
full details on matters such as research. He also emphasised that the FSA is keen to be proactive
in seeking out issues that need to be researched and tackled.
The debate on nutrition issues needs to be opened up. A way needs to be found for
stakeholders (including industry) to make their contribution and get recognition for it.
A rich tapestry of initiatives to improve children’s nutrition is already underway. It will be
part of the FSA’s role to complement these activities, to support useful initiatives and to
disseminate advice on good practice. Tom Murray pointed out the need for coordination, and
for linking up initiatives with the statutory bodies.
Nutrition is one of the priority areas in which the Food Standards Agency will be developing
work over the coming months and years. In summary, what the FSA wants to achieve is:
• Long-term improvements in the diet and nutrition of the UK population
• Reduction in inequalities by enabling and encouraging the disadvantaged and vulnerable
to improve their diets
How this will be brought about:
• By the establishment of a new Nutrition Stakeholder Forum in 2001;
• Through work with the Health Departments and other agencies (including the all-Ireland
Food Safety Promotion Board on specific issues)
• Through work with the UK food industry to improve nutritional quality in processed
foods (for example by reducing their salt content);
• By helping people to understand how to achieve a healthy diet in practice
• By identifying and promulgating the most effective ways of encouraging adoption of a
healthy diet, on the basis of advice from expert advisory committees, our own research
and other relevant sources of information such as health and education professionals.
The FSA’s role begins with getting sound evidence on which to base our advice and action.
The FSA does this by commissioning research and dietary surveys, and by seeking advice
from expert advisory committees. The FSA has a major role to play in enabling, motivating
and informing people about diet, and in identifying what steps people can take to change their
eating habits for the better. Our aim is to find out what information the general public and
specific groups need about healthy eating, and the best means of getting the facts to them.
Some factors that will play an important part in this:
• Accurate and informative labelling;
• Education, by means of:
- getting information through to children in a way that is meaningful to them
- ensuring that children have practical food and cooking skills.
The Children’s Nutrition Action Plan, published by The Food Commission
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