Pizzas and pies ‘must shrink’ to help tackle obesity crisis

PIZZAS must get smaller, or have less topping, under government plans to cap calories in thousands of meals sold in restaurants and supermarkets.

Pies, ready meals and sandwiches will also be subject to the proposed calorie limits, in an attempt to tackle Britain’s growing obesity crisis.

Under the draft proposals, a standard pizza for one should contain no more than 928 calories – far fewer than many sold by takeaways, restaurants and shops.

The recommendations also suggest that a savoury pie should contain no more than 695 calories.

Public Health England (PHE) said “drastic” measures were needed to combat Britain’s obesity crisis.

Its plans will see recommended limits on thousands of foods, including cooking sauces, soups, burgers and processed meats. It comes as new figures show rates of severe obesity among children have risen by more than a third in just over a decade.

More than one in five pupils are obese by the time they leave primary school, including about 24,000 children classed as “severely obese”.

Earlier this week officials met retailers and manufacturers and distributors – including Domino’s Pizza, Deliveroo, Just Eat, Mcdonald’s and KFC – to discuss proposed “calorie caps” on thousands of popular foods.

The measures – to be announced next year following consultation with the food industry – are part of targets to reduce calories in everyday foods by 20 per cent. They follow government pledges to halve rates of childhood obesity by 2030.

Dr Alison Tedstone, PHE chief nutritionist, said it was not enough for restaurants to offer healthy options, because Britain’s weight problem would only be tackled if the calorie content of most foods was cut.

She told The Daily Telegraph: “It could mean less meat on a pizza; it could mean less cheese; it could mean a smaller size. Consumers are saying they want smaller portions and healthier options.”

Officials said the proposals were at an early stage, with discussions in coming months to decide what was “feasible and achievable”.

Under current plans, the limits would not be mandatory, but similar targets for sweet foods – which have resulted in a 2 per cent fall in sugar, against a target of 5 per cent – have prompted warnings from ministers that tougher steps may be taken.