Federal Nutrition Minister Julia Klöckner has agreed with several sectors of the food industry on target agreements for the reduction of sugar, salt and fat in finished products by 2025. „The food industry has committed to this for the first time and wants to be reviewed in their steps to reduce sugar, fats and salt in processed foods,“ said the CDU Minister of „Bild“ newspaper.
It is a self-commitment, which should be checked for the first time in the fall, said Klöckner. „If the economy does not agree, we will consider further measures,“ said the Minister.
According to the report, the non-alcoholic soft drinks industry committed to reducing 15 percent of its sugar in its drinks. The Confederation of the Grain, Mill and Starch Industries said it would use at least 20 percent less sugar in children’s breakfast cereals.
The Dairy Industry Association has agreed that yogurts promoted for children should not contain more sugar than regular yoghurts, which translates into a reduction of about ten percent sugar.
According to the report, the German frozen foods institute has undertaken to reduce the salt content in pizzas to an average of no more than 1.25 grams of salt per 100 grams of pizza. The bakers wanted to reduce the salt content in breads with a lot of salt. But there should be no limit.
Klöckner had already submitted in November a „National reduction and innovation strategy for sugar, fats and salt in finished products“. On this Wednesday morning, the Federal Government is to discuss the subject at its Cabinet meeting. Then Klöckner wants to inform at noon in a press conference.
