Ken O'Flynn (Cork North-Central, Independent Ireland Party)
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1509. To ask the Minister for Health if she will respond to five queries (details supplied) concerning Ireland’s consumption of ultra-processed foods. [29975/25]

Colm Burke (Cork North-Central, Fine Gael)
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Firstly, it is important to highlight the difference in terminology between Ultra Processed Foods (UPFs) and foods High in Saturated Fat, Salt and Sugar (HFSS). HFSS foods are of public health concern, as increased consumption of these foods increases overweight, obesity, diabetes and cardiovascular disease. HFSS foods are a type of UPF, but classification of UPF is complex. There is no legal definition of an UPF, mostly they are categorised according to the NOVA classification (), a system of grades that compares the degree of processing of food and drink products on a scale of one to four. Unprocessed or minimally processed foods (fruits and eggs) are in group one, and UPFs are in group four (biscuits, cakes and chicken nuggets). One shorthand way for people to decide whether something is an UPF is to consider whether it contains an ingredient they wouldn’t recognise from their own kitchen. Foods that are high in calories (energy), fat, sugar and salt should be limited as much as possible as they are not part of a healthy diet.

There have been associations between increased consumption of UPFs and an increased risk of health issues such as obesity, chronic diseases like type 2 diabetes, and depression. The Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition (SACN) in the UK (www.gov.uk/government/publications/sacn-statement-on-processed-foods-and-health/sacn-statement-on-processed-foods-and-health-summary-report),concluded that more research is needed before drawing any firm conclusions about whether UPFs cause poor health as it was unclear whether these foods are inherently unhealthy due to processing or because a large majority of them are high in energy (calories), saturated fat, salt and/or free sugars (HFSS) .

Ireland’s current Obesity Policy and Action Plan (OPAP) 2016-2025 addresses overweight and obesity through a range of commitments, many of which focus on increasing awareness of and enabling a healthier diet.

The Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Marine (DAFM) has funded dietary food consumption surveys over the last twenty years in different age cohorts: pre-school children, school aged children and adults. The Irish Universities Nutrition Alliance (IUNA) conducts this research which demonstrates that dietary intakes of saturated fat, sugar and salt are in excess of healthy eating recommendations and intakes of fruit, vegetables and fibre remain suboptimal.

Measures to reduce both the prevalence of high fat salt and sugar foods and beverages in the food environment and the consumption of such products is outlined in OPAP; this includes the introduction of a sugar sweetened drinks tax in 2018 which was evaluated in 2024 and a Food Reformulation Task Force which was established to drive food reformulation in Ireland. The goal of reformulation is to reduce nutrients, referred to as 'target nutrients' which when consumed in high and imbalanced amounts increase the risk of poor health outcomes.

Under OPAP, a suite of scientific recommendations for food based healthy eating guidelines have been produced for young children, the general population and older adults.

• Development of a suite of nutritional guidelines for children aged 1-4, for early learning settings, and to inform the free school meals programme which is targeted at schools classified as disadvantaged with a view to extending to all primary schools. Similar guidelines were also introduced for adults aged 65 and over.
• Safefood public health campaign called “why is it always at their eye level” to raise public awareness about the prevalence of an unhealthy food environment for children.
• Healthy Ireland supports the Incredible Edibles programme to encourage healthy eating habits in primary school children.
• The Department of Health funds the continuation and development of the RCSI’s “Facilitating Integration of Childhood Obesity Services in Primary Care Through Education” programme providing high quality training in child and adolescent obesity for health care professionals.
• Supporting promotion of breastfeeding through a suite of targeted supports and education; additional funding for lactation consultants under a number of budgets, and agreement in 2024 to develop a national breastfeeding strategy.
• The Healthy Weight for Children HSE Action Plan 2021-2023, delivered, and a new plan published in 2024.

There are a number of interdepartmental initiatives and campaigns including:

• The Department of Social Protection oversees the delivery of the Hot School Meals Programme and my Department works with the Department of Social Protection with regard to the nutritional standards for the Hot School Meals Programme. An intergovernmental group has been established by DSP to ensure compliance with these standards in particular as the Programme continues to expand. Approval has been given to appoint a dietician to examine and evaluate adherence to the nutritional standards.
• The Healthy Communities Programme represents a collaborative effort between the Department of Health, the HSE and local authorities. It operated across 19 communities across Ireland and offers health and wellbeing services. It includes the Healthy Food Made Easy programme, which provides cooking and nutrition education to promote healthier eating habits.
• My Department and the all island body Safefood have run a number of public health campaigns to address the consumption of HFSS foods and promote healthier eating. These include the current Safefood campaign to raise public awareness about the prevalence of an unhealthy food environment for children by asking “why is it always at their eye level?”. Safefood previously ran the Start Campaign which supported families in making small sustainable changes towards healthier eating and increased physical activity. In 2023 and 2024 my department ran the Healthy Weight Campaign which was developed under the OPAP. This campaign targeted adults aged 24 to 34 and aimed to encourage healthier lifestyles and weight management.

We would anticipate being guided by national dietary based guidelines and drawing on international best practice when determining the parameters of any such measures.

Ongoing monitoring and evaluation will be an essential part of the new policy to ensure the effectiveness of measures implemented and to make necessary adjustments based on feedback and outcomes.