Update from Good Food Oxfordshire

Following on from the public launch at the Kassam Stadium in November 2017; 665 people from Oxfordshire responded to the public consultation, 421 online and 244 via a postcard.

Of those who responded, 41% said they thought they had more than the recommended maximum amount of sugar per day, and a further 17% were not sure. 92% thought young people had more than the recommended maximum amount of sugar per day.

65.6% were very concerned about the amount of sugar in our food and drinks and 30.4% were a bit concerned. Only 3.6% were not at all concerned.

In order of popularity, the measures that people thought businesses should take were:

1. Offer tap water as standard in cafes and canteens (62% of people agreed with this)
2. Make healthier options more visible (52%)
3. Traffic light ratings (red/yellow/green) on drinks (46%)
4. Sugar Smart assemblies or debates in schools and colleges (44%)
5. Limit the proportion of sugary drinks in cafés and canteens (41%)
6. Display information about sugar in drinks in vending machines (38%)
7. 10p ‘sugar tax’ on sugary drinks in cafés and canteens (36%)
8. Individual challenges to cut out sugary drinks for a week (28%)

Only 1.2% of people who responded thought no action was needed at all in Oxford’s workplaces, cafés, canteens, leisure centres, schools and colleges.

In response to this public demand for action, Oxford’s businesses are now being invited to take action to make it easier for people to reduce their sugar consumption.

Information for businesses

Workplaces, cafés, canteens, restaurants, leisure centres, and so on can sign up to one or more of the SUGAR SMART business commitments:

• Promote free tap water
• Adopt a traffic light sticker system on canteen/café drinks menus
• Make 80% of drinks offered sugar free
• Make healthier options more visible
• Display sugar content information on vending machines
• Introduce a 10p sugar tax on sales of sugary drinks in canteens/cafés, to go to a children’s health fund

If they sign up to three or more commitments, their business will be awarded a SUGAR SMART Golden Teaspoon.

Information for schools and colleges

Schools and colleges are also being invited to take part; by running assemblies, debates and individual challenges to cut out sugary drinks for a week. The focus of the campaign is sugary drinks but any healthy initiatives are really welcome.

Interested organisations can get additional support by emailing us at mail@sugarsmartoxon.org