Copyright northernirelandworld
With a commitment to improving the nutritional quality of foods available to consumers, the Food Standards Agency (FSA) and Northern Ireland’s 11 council Environmental Health teams sampled three popular types of traybake – fifteens, rocky roads and caramel squares – and sent them for nutritional analysis. The College of Agriculture, Food and Rural Enterprise (CAFRE) then investigated consumer acceptability of traybake portion sizes. The research found that traybakes sold in cafés in Northern Ireland are high in sugar, with an average single traybake containing 44g of sugar – more than the daily recommended intake. When it comes to saturated fat content, a single traybake contains an average of 13g which is more than half the daily recommendation. The sampled traybakes were also found to be high in calories, with the average single traybake treat having a calorie content of 484 – a quarter of a woman’s daily calorie recommendation. However, the research also found that consumer feedback suggests that smaller traybakes, if priced appropriately, would be acceptable. This is being seen as an opportunity for businesses to adapt accordingly. Discussing the role that this research can play in shaping a healthier food environment Jennifer McGonagle, senior nutritionist at the FSA said: “Snacking is part of our daily eating habits and traybakes are a popular local snack in NI, but consumers may not be fully aware how much sugar, saturated fat or energy they contain. "This research helps us understand what’s being sold and consumers views on portion size. "It also highlights that there’s an opportunity for businesses to help create a healthier food environment by offering smaller portions or reformulating recipes to reduce sugar, saturated fat and calories in their products.” CAFRE is already helping local businesses reformulate products to make them healthier without compromising on taste or quality. Peter Simpson, Head of Food Technology, from CAFRE said: “We can help businesses consider ways to reduce sugar, saturated fat, and calories in a variety of food products from breakfast goods to desserts. "With our food technology and science expertise, including our unique facility that is equipped with pilot food scale equipment, we’ve shown it’s possible to make healthier versions of indulgent products that still taste great."
