External Relations

HEALTH IN PREGNANCY GRANT
Health secretary Alan Johnson is to announce that from April 2009, women in their 29th week of pregnancy will receive a one-off cash payment to encourage healthy eating.  Please click here to download the Society's position statement.

FOLIC ACID
The Food Standards Agency is to recommend the mandatory fortification of a food with folic acid to UK Health Ministers.  Please click here for the Society’s position statement.

 EVIDENCE-BASED MEDICINE
The Society has signed the Sense About Science statement on evidence-based medicine and the medicines for human use (National Rules for Homeopathic Products) Regulations 2006.  The statement can be viewed here

CONSULTATIONS

 NUTRITION SOCIETY OFFICIAL RESPONSE TO CONSULTATIONS AND REPORTS

FOOD COMPETENCY FRAMEWORK: FOOD SKILLS AND KNOWLEDGE FOR YOUNG PEOPLE
Following the British Nutrition Foundation’s closed consultation on the draft food competences for young people, the Food Standards Agency has now consulted on the competences and how they should be implemented.  The Nutrition Society’s response can be viewed here. 

MATERNAL AND CHILD NUTRITION
The Department of Health asked the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) to produce public health guidance to improve the nutrition of pregnant and breastfeeding mothers and children in low-income households. This guidance focuses on low-income and other disadvantaged groups.  A draft of the guidance was open for consultation during July-August 2007.  To view the Society's response, please click here

DRAFT SATURATED FAT AND ENERGY INTAKE

In the UK, current population average intakes of saturated fat exceed public health recommendations, and the rising levels of obesity indicate that energy intakes currently exceed requirements. Both of these conditions raise serious health concerns.  In light of this, the Food Standards Agency has produced a programme which aims to reduce average saturated fat intakes and help consumers to achieve and maintain energy balance.  Click here for more details.  A draft version of the programme was open for consultation from March – June 2007.  Click here to view the Society’s official response.

FOLIC ACID UPDATE

Following the publication of the Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition (SACN)’s report on Folate and Disease prevention, the FSA ran a consultation Options to increase folate intakes of young women. The four options consulted on were as follows:

Option 1 – Continue with the current policy of advice to women
Option 2 – Increase the effort to encourage young women to take folic acid supplements (folic acid a synthetic form of the vitamin folate, used in supplement and as a food fortificant) and changes to diet to increase the consumption of folate-rich foods
Option 3 – Encourage industry to fortify more foods with folic acid on a voluntary basis
Option 4 – Recommend the mandatory fortification of bread or flour with folic acid The consultation closed on 13th March, and the Society’s response can be seen here.

INQUIRY INTO THE LINKS BETWEEN DIET AND BEHAVIOUR
The Associated Parliamentary Food and Health Forum are to run an inquiry into the possible links between diet, in particular fish oils, and behaviour.  Click here to see the response submitted by the Society in reply to the call for evidence  If you wish to be sent a copy of the minutes from the enquiry or require any further information, please contact Sarah James at s.james@nutsoc.org.uk.

FOOD COMPETENCIES FOR CHILDREN
The British Nutrition Foundation have been commissioned by the Food Standards Agency to ‘define the core food competencies that children should know, understand and apply by the ages of 7, 11, 14 and 16 years’.  As the Society had previously responded to an FSA consultation on food competencies for children, we were again asked to comment.  The consultation document can be viewed here, and the Society’s response can be viewed here