The Government has said that “takeaways and very popular restaurant chains” are what it particularly needs to focus on when it comes to widening the Responsibility Deal.
In an interview with M&C Report’s sister title The Grocer, Health Minister Anna Soubry said she had had a very “vigorous discussion” with the management team of Burger King, led by Rajeev Varman, and was “blown away” by the attitude of Tragus chief executive John Derkach.
Soubry said: “It’s the takeaway and very popular restaurant chains we particularly need to focus on. I’ve had the MD of Burger King in and we had a very vigorous discussion and there’s been a couple of others as well.
“These are people who have come from other countries and they are not familiar with it there. They were very, very interested.
“The Tragus chain came in and the attitude of their new chief executive – quite frankly I was absolutely blown away by him. He said it’s not about choice, it’s about doing the right thing.”
For a full version of the interview see www.grocer.co.uk
Meanwhile, one of the three health groups that withdrew from the Responsibility Deal Alcohol Network - the Faculty of Public Health - over the Government’s decision to shelve plans to introduce a minimum price for alcohol has also withdrawn from the Food Network.
The Department of Health (DoH) has today responded to the withdrawal of the three health groups, saying: “We are disappointed that these health organisations have withdrawn from the Responsibility Deal Alcohol Network but product pricing and tobacco control have never been part of the Deal’s work.
“We have shown that by working with industry, we have reduced artificial trans fats, calories and salt in foods, and we recently introduced our consistent front of pack food labelling scheme - which all the major supermarkets and some of the big manufacturers signed up to.
“But we are not complacent - as part of the Responsibility Deal we are continuing discussions with businesses so we can get even better results.”
