Mars Food advises limited use of high-salt products

Mars Food, the company behind Dolmio and Uncle Ben's sauces, said a number of products should be consumed only once a week due to high salt, sugar or fat content.

According to Mars Food, it would distinguish between "everyday" and "occasional" items on packs and website.

The company added some foods had higher salt, sugar or fat content to maintain the "authentic" taste of products.

The National Obesity Forum termed the move as "hugely unusual" but "very imaginative".

The advice formed part of Mars's Health and Wellbeing Ambition to "create and promote healthier food choices".

Mars told the BBC that only 5 per cent of its products would be labelled "occasional", including Dolmio lasagne sauces, pesto, and carbonara and macaroni oven kits, and Uncle Ben's oriental sauces.

According to Mars, its website would be updated over the next few months with the list of products to be eaten not more than once a week, and "everyday" ones.

The recommendation for fat consumption for adults was 70g fat a day, 20g saturated fat, 90g sugar and 6g salt per day.

According to Tam Fry, of the National Obesity Forum, a charity that raised awareness about the condition, Mars indicated the direction of their travel towards healthier products several years ago and was now following up on it. The move follows chancellor George Osborne's announcement of a sugar tax in his recent budget to tackle childhood obesity.

According to Fiona Dawson, the global president of Mars Food, Drinks and Multisales, the company had developed "very high" nutritional standards for its products, in light of recommendations by governments and the World Health Organisation.
 
"We also want to help our consumers understand the difference between 'everyday' and 'occasional' products within a balanced diet," she said, www.telegraph.co.uk reported.