The UK’s Food Standards Agency has found that the majority of consumers have a low level of differentiation between saturated and unsaturated fats.

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According to the findings of a study conducted by the governmental watchdog, most consumers fail to make a clear distinction between fat and saturated fat in their diet, although there is an awareness of some fats, such as olive oil, being “good”, while others, such as lard, were thought to be “bad”.


Many consumers, the FSA found, were unable to identify saturated fats in processed foods, butter or cheese.


The research also found that consumers were largely frustrated that clear front of pack labelling of saturated fats was not available.


“There were frequent spontaneous requests across the sample for a consistent, simple, straightforward, easy to read front of pack labelling system that consumers can use to identify rough levels of saturated fat (and other constituents) at a glance, and considerable frustration that this was not already in existence,” the researchers wrote.

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Nominations are now closed for the Just Food Excellence Awards. A big thanks to all the organisations that entered – your response has been outstanding, showcasing exceptional innovation, leadership, and impact.

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