Diets high in saturated fat are associated with increased levels of blood cholesterol and higher risk of heart disease.
As a population, we need to reduce the amount of saturated fat in our diets to bring average intake down to the recommended 11% of food energy. We all need to work together to tackle this important public health issue by raising consumer awareness of the need to cut down and making sure that there are a wide range of lower saturated-fat foods available when shopping.
It is encouraging to see that a large number of food manufacturers and retailers have signed up to the Department of Health's Responsibility Deal Saturated Fat Reduction Pledge by agreeing to reduce the amount of saturated fat in foods and reformulate their products where possible to improve their nutritional profile. Hopefully these strong commitments across the board will help to improve public health in the years to come.