Hackney takeaways make healthier catering commitments
Hackney Council is working with takeaways to make little changes that could make a big difference to the health of the borough’s children and young people.
So far, 45 takeaways have signed up and met the criteria of the Healthy Catering Commitment, a London-wide scheme that recognises businesses that demonstrate a commitment to reducing the level of saturated fat and salt content in their foods. They are doing this by offering healthy options, for example water, low sugar drinks and snacks and making smaller portions available on request.
Initially the focus is on 86 takeaways that sell kebab, chicken, chips or fish within 1,000 meters of Hackney’s six Health Heroes schools. The six primary schools - Nightingale, St Scholasticas, De Beauvoir, Thomas Fairchild, St Dominic's Orchard, Southwold and Randal Cremer - already focus on healthy eating and behaviours.
We all enjoy a takeaway from time to time, but too many children in Hackney are overweight or obese. We need to take action and work together to ensure our children and young people are eating healthier and being given the chance to make healthier choices.
Through the Healthy Catering Commitment scheme we are working with takeaways to make small changes such as offering smaller portions that could make a big difference to our young people’s health.
To qualify for the scheme, Hackney’s takeaways must pass the Council’s food hygiene assessment. Once that’s done, they can sign up to eight of the 22 Healthy Catering Commitment criteria. These are grouped in broad categories such as cooking and preparation, salt and portion size. They include:
- Using polyunsaturated or monounsaturated fat or oil for cooking food. For instance using sunflower, corn oil or rapeseed oil instead of saturated fats such as lard, palm oil, ghee or butter; and
- Letting customers add their own salt by providing sachets or salt shakers with fewer holes.
The Council’s environmental health officers are on hand to give advice and support on how they can meet the criteria. They are working with businesses to look at menus, alternative methods or ingredients that will make their food healthier and they will provide reduced-hole salt shakers.
The changes will mean easy cost savings for businesses, because they will use less fat and salt, and the Council is providing the salt shakers. Businesses that have joined the scheme and met the criteria get a Healthier Catering Commitment certificate and door sticker which they can display so that their customers know they are part of the scheme. There is also an online logo that businesses can use on their websites.
The Healthier Catering Commitment (HCC) for is supported by the Chartered Institute of Environmental Health and the Mayor of London.
Businesses that sign up are offered training with a nutritionist and the RSPH Level 2 Qualifications in Nutrition to be offered to businesses if enough interest was expressed during the project. The current cost for a Level 2 training course to a business is £65.
The Council’s aims to extend the project to takeaways across the borough, and cafés and restaurants too.
Customers can check what star rating any eatery is at www.ratings.food.gov.ukThe Council’s Environmental Health can be contacted on 0208 356 4911 or info@hackney.gov.uk http://ratings.food.gov.uk/
Reducing childhood obesity is one of the Council’s top health priorities. Through Get Hackney Healthy the Council has initiatives such as Play Streets, Health Heroes and HENRY (Health, Exercise and Nutrition for the Really Young). There is also training programme in children’s centres to enable staff to raise the issue of weight with parents. The Council also funds cooking sessions in community centres for parents and children, and run awareness campaigns, including Change4Life, to support parents to make healthier choices.
To qualify for the scheme, Hackney’s takeaways must pass the Council’s food hygiene assessment. Once that’s done, they can sign up to eight of the 22 Healthy Catering Commitment criteria. These are grouped in broad categories such as cooking and preparation, salt and portion size. They include:
- Using polyunsaturated or monounsaturated fat or oil for cooking food. For instance using sunflower, corn oil or rapeseed oil instead of saturated fats such as lard, palm oil, ghee or butter; and
- Letting customers add their own salt by providing sachets or salt shakers with fewer holes.
The Council’s environmental health officers are on hand to give advice and support on how they can meet the criteria. They are working with businesses to look at menus, alternative methods or ingredients that will make their food healthier and they will provide reduced-hole salt shakers.
The changes will mean easy cost savings for businesses, because they will use less fat and salt, and the Council is providing the salt shakers. Businesses that have joined the scheme and met the criteria get a Healthier Catering Commitment certificate and door sticker which they can display so that their customers know they are part of the scheme. There is also an online logo that businesses can use on their websites.
The Healthier Catering Commitment (HCC) for is supported by the Chartered Institute of Environmental Health and the Mayor of London.
Businesses that sign up are offered training with a nutritionist and the RSPH Level 2 Qualifications in Nutrition to be offered to businesses if enough interest was expressed during the project. The current cost for a Level 2 training course to a business is £65.
The Council’s aims to extend the project to takeaways across the borough, and cafés and restaurants too.
Customers can check what star rating any eatery is at www.ratings.food.gov.ukThe Council’s Environmental Health can be contacted on 0208 356 4911 or info@hackney.gov.uk http://ratings.food.gov.uk/
Reducing childhood obesity is one of the Council’s top health priorities. Through Get Hackney Healthy the Council has initiatives such as Play Streets, Health Heroes and HENRY (Health, Exercise and Nutrition for the Really Young). There is also training programme in children’s centres to enable staff to raise the issue of weight with parents. The Council also funds cooking sessions in community centres for parents and children, and run awareness campaigns, including Change4Life, to support parents to make healthier choices.