Briefing paper on discretionary foods and drinks

2.1    In the UK, foods and drinks high in fat, sugar or salt are defined by the UK nutrient profiling model (NPM). Discretionary foods, as defined by FSS, are a subset of HFSS foods, comprising of confectionery, sweet biscuits, crisps, savoury snacks, cakes, sweet pastries, puddings, ice cream, dairy desserts categories and sugar containing soft drinks. These are low in nutritional value and not required as part of a healthy diet. Further details on the UK NPM are included in Annexe 1.

2.2    The rationale for separating the discretionary foods categories from other HFSS food categories is based on the following: 

• Non-discretionary HFSS foods are often consumed as part of a meal rather than as a snack or treat for example some processed meats, potato and dairy products. Whilst these foods may contribute considerably to calories, fats, sugars or salt, they can also provide some beneficial nutrients, such as protein, iron, calcium and dietary fibre. A higher proportion of products within these categories are also likely to pass the current UK NPM compared with discretionary foods. (For more information see Annexe 1).
• Other non-discretionary HFSS foods may be categorised as meal ingredients or accompaniments. These include for example, spreading fats, cooking oil, table sugar, table salt, pickles, table sauces and condiments.