5.A. Workshop: Reducing and monitoring sugar, fat, and salt in packaged food: Germany and the European context

Today, packaged food constitutes more than 50 % of the food supply in most European households. Many of those products are high in energy, sugar, fat, and salt, and consuming them is positively associated with overweight and obesity. Measures such as taxation and reformulation of packaged food high in sugar, fat, or salt are considered effective means to improve food environments and facilitate healthier food choices for individuals. However, the measures as well as their implementation and evaluation vary across Europe. The aim of this workshop is to give an overview of the different actions taken to stimulate the reformulation of food and beverages. Furthermore, we will present the German monitoring of packaged food, including selected findings, as one example to guide such reformulation initiatives. In the first part of our workshop we summarize existing measures in Europe to facilitate health-promoting food choices, focusing on reformulation measures and related monitoring approaches: Presentation 1 will give a systematic overview of measures to reduce sugar, fat, and salt content of food and beverages in selected European countries (Abstract 1). With presentation 2, we will give methodological insights into the German monitoring of the energy and nutrient content in packaged food (Abstract 2). Presentation 3 will focus on the latest results of the German product monitoring, with an emphasis on sugar reduction in soft drinks, yoghurts, and breakfast cereals. Furthermore, we will compare our results to those of other European countries and highlight methodical differences (Abstract 3). In the second half of the workshop, we aim to discuss our findings with the participants. Participants are encouraged to contribute further examples and experiences from their countries, which then will be discussed and documented. Opening questions and polls will be used to stimulate active involvement. Our workshop aims to contribute to better reporting of existing measures and reformulation monitoring methods in Europe, as information is often limited and only available in respective national languages. Moreover, we hope to create a community of practice to continue exchange on the effectiveness of the respective measures and good practice models across Europe. KEY MESSAGES: • The workshop gives an overview of different measures to reduce sugar, fat, and salt content in packaged food in Europe, incl. related monitoring. • The workshop provides a platform to exchange experiences in packaged food monitoring and stimulate scientific exchange and transparency within this area.