To ask the Minister of Health what proposals he has to limit the promotion and consumption of junk food in Northern Ireland.

The Department’s ‘A Fitter Future for All’ obesity prevention strategic framework includes outcomes to advocate for further restrictions of advertising products with high fat, salt, and sugar (HFSS) to children and young people. The policy also advocates for Councils to consider and be supported to undertake Health Impact Assessments on relevant planning applications related to unhealthy take away or fast-food establishments near schools or other child-focussed settings. In addition, through the all-Island START campaign led by Safefood, consistent regional messages are provided to the public to raise public awareness of evidence-based healthy eating and reduce consumption of HFSS foods.

Minimum Nutrition Standards for catering and vending in Health and Social Care settings have been recently reviewed and full implementation for staff and visitors is underway. Work is also being taken forward to promote the roll-out of these standards in local government and wider public sector.

The Food Standards Agency lead on a number of food-related outcomes in ‘A Fitter Future for All’. In collaboration with retailers, they are working to consider consumers accessibility to healthier foods sold on promotion of foods high in fat, sugar, salt and calories. At the same time, they are working across the UK on Front Of Pack nutrition labelling. In addition, they are supporting voluntary calorie labelling and portion control in the out of home sector through the Calorie Wise scheme to help business and consumers make healthier and more informed food choices.

Finally, my Department is currently developing a new obesity strategy to take over from ‘A Fitter Future for All’ in 2023, through co-design and in partnership with stakeholders across all sectors. This new policy intends to build on the outcomes and evidence already identified, to establish new short, medium and long-term outcomes to tackle the promotion and consumption of HFSS foods across the population, with the goal of making healthier choices easier choices.