Mars labels to advice “occasional” consumption of unhealthy products

Mars Food is introducing a new system of food labelling that indicates that its Dolmio pasta meals and sauces should not be eaten regularly due to their high sugar, salt and fat content. The labels – which will identify “occasional” food – are part of a five-year global health initiative which will see the company reducing salt in its products by 20% by 2021 and reducing sugar in some products by 2018. Cash (Campaign for Action on Salt), dismissed the proposals as “unambitious” and called for mandatory, regulated targets on salt, sugar and fat reduction.

The food giant that makes Mars bars is to introduce new labelling advising consumers that its Dolmio pasta meal kits and ready-made sauces – high in sugar, salt and fat – should be eaten only occasionally.

As part of a five-year global health initiative being announced on Thursday, Mars Food is introducing new labels on its savoury pasta and rice products to help shoppers distinguish between “everyday” foods and those which should only be eaten occasionally – ideally no more than once a week.

The company is to revamp its UK product range and reformulate many of its best-known foods, including its Dolmio pasta sauces – which have come under fire from health campaigners – by reducing salt, added sugar and fat. In other major brands such as Uncle Ben’s savoury rice products it will expand healthier, multi-grain options to include more whole grains and vegetables.

Mars Food said the move is designed to help families by giving them easier-to-understand nutritional information as well as a wider range of healthy choices.

George Osborne recently responded to the growing clamour by announcing plans for a tax on sugary soft drinks intended to make children healthier and cut the £5bn a year cost of obesity to the NHS. But in the food sector the government relies on the industry to do more to make products healthier by reformulating them.

In the first step of the five-year initative in the UK, all Dolmio lasagne meal kits, lasagne sauces, oven bake kits (macaroni and cheese, carbonara, creamy tomato) and Dolmio pesto will be labelled as “occasional” foods. The company has pledged to cut salt by an average of 20% by 2021 and reduce added sugar in some sauces and light meals by 2018.

Mars Food is part of Mars Incorporated, whose chocolate business makes Mars bars, M&Ms, Maltesers and Snickers, although the new initiative will only apply to Mars Food products – which also include Seeds of Change pasta sauces.

The Mars move was described as “unambitious” by the campaign group Cash (Campaign for Action on Salt). Graham MacGregor, professor of cardiovascular medicine at Queen Mary University of London and chairman of Cash, said he welcomed it “although it is ... not going to solve the health problems in the UK.

“What is needed is what the British Retail Consortium has asked the government for – a mandatory system of regulated targets for the reduction of sugar, saturated fat and salt.”