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Fibre Facts: M&S Fights For Clearer Food Health Claims
16 Aug
Summary
- Most UK adults consume insufficient daily fibre intake.
- Low fibre intake is linked to serious health conditions.
- Supermarkets seek clearer language for fibre's health benefits.
Marks & Spencer is urging the UK government to overhaul food health claim regulations, aiming to simplify how the benefits of dietary fibre are communicated to the public. Currently, 96% of UK adults consume less than the recommended 30g of fibre daily, and supermarkets find the existing technical language restrictive in explaining its importance.
This initiative highlights a significant public health concern, as low fibre intake is linked to a higher risk of bowel cancer, heart disease, and type 2 diabetes. Bowel cancer, the fourth most common cancer in the UK, is particularly associated with insufficient fibre consumption. M&S is collaborating with Bowel Cancer UK on its Better with Beans campaign to promote healthier choices.
The call for regulatory reform extends beyond fibre, indicating that many post-Brexit food labelling standards have yet to be updated for a British audience, creating a persistent gap in clear consumer information.
