ACS

New research commissioned by Unilever and conducted by TNS Worldpanel has found that people are consuming a ‘worrying’ amount of saturated fat. The highest intake levels were found in the North of England and Scotland, where consumers were eating almost twice the guideline daily amount of saturated fat. The recommended GDA dose of saturated fat for men is 30g a day and for women and children 20g a day.

Jacqui Morrell, a dietician, asserted that the findings are extremely "worrying" and that something has to be done by the government to ensure that the trend does not continue. "It is evident there is a lack of knowledge as to which foods are high in saturated fat and about balancing intake and making healthier choices to keep saturated fat levels low," she commented. Morrell added that there has to be a greater emphasis on education, helping the general public to adopt more balanced diets.

ACS is chairing the Department of Health’s project which aims to increase fruit and vegetables in convenience stores in areas where there is a lack of access to fresh food. The project will be piloted in the North East of England initially with the intention to roll it out across England in 2009. If you would like to take part in this project please contact Helen Davies either by email on helen.davies@acs.org.uk or by telephone on 01252 515001.