To ask the Minister of Health how his Department is raising public awareness in relation to the necessity of maintaining high nutritional standards in individuals’ diets.

Improving diet and nutrition across our population has been a longstanding element in my Department’s ‘A Fitter Future For All’ obesity prevention strategy, which has a long term objective to increase the percentage of people eating a healthy, nutritionally balanced diet.

The Public Health Agency raises public awareness in maintaining high nutritional standards in individuals’ diets through a range of programmes, promotions, and online resources supporting service providers and individuals to increase knowledge and skills relating to food and nutrition.

The Food Standards Agency (FSA) raises public awareness of the necessity of maintaining high nutritional standards in individuals’ diets by providing resources to help everyone understand and learn about the Eatwell Guide which is a visual representation of the types of foods and drinks we should consume and in what proportions to have a healthy, balanced diet.

Both organisations work with partners to implement nutritional standards in Health and Social Care, public sector and local council settings to ensure healthier options are available for staff and visitors.

The FSA also works with industry partners to raise awareness of the nutritional content of foods that contribute significantly to energy, saturated fat, sugar and/or salt intakes of the Northern Ireland population, to make the products they make or serve healthier.

Alongside local government, the FSA supports food businesses to display energy information on their menus through the Calorie Wise scheme which gives customers more information about the food they eat.