The UK government needs to remove “barriers to innovation” to ensure businesses can compete on a level playing field, the Food and Drink Federation (FDF) has said.

Speaking at the Westminster Food & Nutrition Forum this morning (2 February), Melanie Leech, director general for the FDF, said removing the “barriers” would allow the UK to “exploit its advantages” as a food producer.

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“It will incentivise individuals to change their behaviour,” Leech said. “While it’s still tough out there, we can do it. Food and drink in the UK is a big success story and will prosper and remain that way.”

One area of innovation for which the FDF has praised its members is product reformulation. Data issued by the FDF last summer claimed that, in the 18 months between January 2008 and July 2009, some 700 reformulated food and drink products were launched in the UK.

Leech said health and wellness remained on the agenda, citing Mars Inc’s recent move to reduce the  saturated fat in a number of chocolate products by at least 15%.

“Our members have remained totally committed to the healthiness of their products. That has not slipped off the agenda,” she said.

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The FDF director general, meanwhile, claimed the Government needed to work on the detail of its Food 2030 strategy.

The programme, launched last month, set out the Government’s vision of the food system in 2030 and covered areas such as sustainability, food waste, farming, food security and health.

“We’d like to see the strategy pinned down more by the Government,” Leech insisted. “This would require ministers to start talking and back us up.

“Back us in going green. Give us the right policy framework to protect the food industry. This would send a signal to nutritional companies, it would cut red tape and protect innovation and competitiveness.”