A fifth of UK households are struggling to get access to good quality food at reasonable prices, meaning they opt for unhealthy alternatives, according to MPs.
Concerned that 40 percent of the UK population will be obese by 2025, a new report by UK Members of Parliament (MPs) has found that a fifth (20 percent) of UK households are ‘struggling to get access to good quality food at reasonable prices’, causing them to turn to unhealthy, high-calorie alternatives.
The report is titled ‘Food Security’ and was written by the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (EFRA) Committee in July 2023. It delves into the availability and affordability of food across the UK.
EFRA lays some of the blame of the increase in food insecurity on the fact consumer price inflation has risen to its highest rate in over 40 years. However, the report calls on the government to explore the options and affordability of extending the provision of free school meals and to break what it calls the ‘junk food cycle’ that the UK suffers from.
Food Security Report
One of the main problems highlighted in the report is the retailers promoting relatively low-cost food which is high in calories but low in nutrients. It claims that this has led to ‘many poorer people in the UK becoming obese’.
According to EFRA this cycle appears to start with the tendency for people to enjoy ‘tasty’ salty or sweet foods – a demand which is then satisfied by supermarkets and fast-food outlets. This plentiful supply in turn creates more opportunities for people to buy food that has a poorer nutritional value.
According to the report, based on current trends, treatment of Type 2 diabetes alone that will stem from this will cost the NHS more than it currently spends on treating all cancers by 2035.
Commenting on the findings of the report, Sir Robert Goodwill, Chair of the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee, said: ‘Food security matters to us all. It is vital to farmers; it is vital to other food producers. And of course, it is vital for every citizen up and down the land to have a square meal at a reasonable price. But surprisingly, the government does not appear to be taking this very basic matter anywhere near seriously enough.
‘This report is calling, through its various recommendations, for much more attention to be paid to the guaranteed supply of good quality food – at prices which suit both producers and consumers. I know that is not an easy balance to strike. But that’s what the government is for. It must read the report carefully and act accordingly,’ Goodwill concluded.
