A number of high profile retailers, charities and other stakeholders will come together to discuss ways of promoting the consumption of healthier prepared food and drink at the Sugar Summit hosted by the All Party Parliamentary Group for Diabetes.

More can be done to encourage greater uptake of lower sugar and lower calorie prepared, manufactured and convenient food and drink. This includes more appropriate fiscal measures for the food and drink industry and stakeholder support in promoting healthier options in manufactured food by working on ways to improve their visibility, availability, affordability and demand.

Panellists:

Chair: Rt Hon Keith Vaz - Member of Parliament, the longest standing Asian MP and Chair of the All Party Parliamentary Group for Diabetes

Dan Parker, Living Loud and Founder of Veg Power - the campaign to inspire everyone to eat more vegetables

Catherine Johnstone CBE, Chief Executive, Royal Voluntary Service, the largest retailer in the NHS

Annie O'Leary, Editor-in-Chief, Netmums, the UK's largest parenting website

Stephen Pugh, Head of Food Labelling at Defra for a quarter of a decade

Priya Tew, Registered Dietitian for BBC1's Eat well for Less and Food Truth or Scare and Media spokesperson for the British Dietetic Association

Mike Bagshaw, Founder of International Taste Solutions (ITS) and Chair of the British Society of Baking

Rend Platings, Chief Executive - Sugarwise, the certification authority for sugar claims on food and drink

Agenda:

Making lower sugar options more (1) available, (2) affordable and (3) visible.

(1) Availability: Getting lower sugar options on shelves and menus

1. How do we get more lower sugar options onto retailer shelves and restaurant menus?
2. Challenges include the School Food Standards. These advocate a pudding after lunch every day, and also disallow fruit and vegetable juice mixes containing less than 45% fruit juice or sugar free flavoured water. Should they be revised?

(2) Affordability: Making healthier options more affordable

1. What evidence is there to suggest that price might be a barrier in affording healthier food and drink? The #DontTaxHealthy campaign advocates lowering VAT on lower sugar food and drink.What positive impact could a reconsideration of the VAT rates on food and drink have?
2. What other initiatives taken by retailers, pubs and food service can drive positive change? eg., lower pricing on lower sugar drinks and food options on children's menus?

(3) Visibility: Highlighting lower sugar and healthier options

1. How helpful is nutritional labelling such as calorie information in nudging people to make healthier choices? Are there any categories of food and drink exempt from the requirement to label?
2. Alongside across the board mandatory labelling, might food and drink low in added sugars be highlighted in store and on shelf, as well as in food service?

Details: The event will run from 1.45pm-4pm

Admittance by invitation only and due to limited number of places, all guests will receive further confirmation prior to the event. This invite is non-transferable.

GUESTS SHOULD BRING PERSONAL PHOTO IDENTIFICATION AND A COPY OF THE INVITATION

Entrance via Cromwell Green, please allow 30-45 minutes to clear security

Reviews

"The perfectly balanced blend of health specialists, public health campaign and charity representatives, as well as food and drink manufacturers, produced a truly memorable debate." - Euromonitor

"A gathering of some of the industry's most influential stakeholders who convened to help overcome the ongoing sugar challenge" - Ingredients

We are shifting the focus of the debate towards positive steps to be taken to highlight healthier alternatives to sugary treats to consumers.

A constructive conversation is expected.

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Panellists at Sugar Summit 2017:

Chair: Rt Hon Keith Vaz - Member of Parliament

Dr Giles Yeo, Principal Research Associate - University of Cambridge

Annie O’Leary, Editor in Chief - Netmums

Lord Clive Brooke, Baron of Alverthorpe - House of Lords

Dr David Unwin, General Practitioner - Norwood Surgery

Andrew Roberts, Royal Voluntary Service

Rend Platings, Chief Executive - Sugarwise

Panellists at Sugar Summit 2016:

Kate Bull - Royal Voluntary Service

Meg Longworth - Compass Group

Jean Savigny - Keller & Heckman

Tam Fry - National Obesity Forum

Jenny Rosborough - Action on Sugar

Maurice Newton - CBL Drinks

Dr Aseem Malhotra - Consultant Cardiologist

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Previous Summit attendees included representatives from:

Department of Health, Public Health England, Unite the Union, House of Lords, British Soft Drinks Association, Food and Drink Federation, Royal Voluntary Service, Compass Group, Unilever, Lidl, Sun-Maid, Tesco, Caffe Nero, Jamie Oliver Food Group, Association for Nutrition, Revital, Keller & Heckman, PLMR, National Obesity Forum, Action on Sugar, Children's Food Campaign, Whitworth's, Merisant, CBL Drinks, Diablo, Cavalier Chocolates, Plamil Foods, Euromonitor, Research Engine, Sweet Enough, Geraint Davies MP, Sensus, JimJam's, HeyLikeWow, Minioti Ice Cream, Britvic, Obesity Health Alliance, Zenith, Sustain, Public Health Collaboration, London School of Economics, Footprint, Connect Consulting, Total Health, Fools & Queens, Zeo, Intervene, Dash Water, Bryt, Squirrel Sisters, Keith Vaz MP, Lord Clive Brooke, APPG Diabetes Group, Sugar Snub, Allergy Show, Innocent ... and more.

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Further information:

For journalist accreditation to The Sugar Summit or to enquire about being a panellist or audience member please contact rend@sugarwise.org.

Thanks to the APPG for Diabetes for hosting the Sugar Summit

Please provide accurate contact details so that we can confirm your place.