I noted a report from the House of Lords Food, Diet and Obesity Committee entitled 'Recipe for health: a plan to fix our broken food system' soon after it was published last year.
Now, the government has responded. I could summarise what they have said very simply. They have ignored what the Lords have had to say on everything from ultra-processed food onwards.
I can also summarise why. The Lord's said:
Now [is the time to] make a decisive shift away from voluntary measures to a system of mandatory regulation of the food industry [to] fundamentally reshape the incentives for the food industry through a coherent and integrated set of policy interventions to reduce the production and consumption of less healthy foods, and drive production and sales of healthier foods.
They added that the government should:
Exclude food businesses that derive more than a proportion of sales (to be defined by the Food Standards Agency) from less healthy products from any discussions on the formation of policy on food, diet and obesity prevention. This should also apply to the industry associations that represent these businesses.
They could not have been clearer about the need for the industry to be excluded from policymaking.
The government's response is to say:
As the providers of the food and drink we eat, the food industry has an important role in helping to improve the nation's diet and tackle obesity.
That's all you really need to know about what they said.
The Lords concluded that it is the food industry that is making us ill.
They reasoned that the food industry is promoting addiction to harmful products that are sinking the NHS under an intolerable burden of having to deal with the consequences of excess sugar consumption.
They believed that, as a result, others had to create policy and then impose it on the industry whose whole motivation is to make us ill.
The government has rejected that idea. It wants the food industry to continue making us ill. It does not want to root out the problems that are destroying the capacity of the NHS at source. It would rather we be ill. Profit comes first with this government.
But at least we now know how deeply corrupt they are, and what they will sacrifice for their own long-term futures. The answer is that it's you, me and the rest of the people of this country.
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Because of the refusal of government to properly finance (spend money on):
-education in schools, colleges & universities
– health
– political parties
– public infrastructure
then private money flows in, and he who pays the piper calls the tune.
We have a system where most of the gamekeeper’s pay comes from poachers, and a politics that preaches the message that the poachers should be given freedom to take the game when they want.
“As the providers of the food and drink we eat, the food industry has an important role in helping to improve the nation’s diet and tackle obesity.”
Can’t honestly disagree with that statement, but what I don’t see is any critical assessment of the industry’s performance against those goals. And if the Lords report is to be believed, the industry, in its pursuit of profit, is in fact acting against those goals, wittingly or unwittingly.
But it’s perfectly clear that the government is blind to such evidence in its slavish dedication to the false god of GDP growth.
Wittingly. The addiction it is promoting is entirely deliberate.
I consider one clause above to be inaccurate: ‘the industry whose whole motivation is to make us ill’. It’s the only thing I disagree with. Their motivation is to make profits to satisfy *shareholders*.
A superb champion of the healthy-food debate is Chris van Tulleken. He has spoken of visiting an ice cream factory (in the USA or Canada). He told the people he met something like, ‘your ice cream is addictive and has very little nutrition.’ The chief executive simply argued that if he changed the product to make it healthy as Dr van Tulleken proposed the company’s share value would plummet and he would lose his job.
The Lords Committee have it right. Regulation needs to be rigorous and backed up by strong enforcement.
The government appears to regard empathy with us – the people governed – as a sin.
Van Tulleken presented the Royal Institution Christmas Lectures on BBC TV. In the third episode, he introduced other scientists and together they demonstrated the horrors of ‘ultra processed foods’ – including every-day items such as supermarket bread. I was astonished. I have read more about it, changed my diet and, for one thing, I buy bread from my local bakery.
A substantial audience – including children – knows about the topic.
Addiction has so so many profit benefits to some, from the poor food, the medications both actual and alcohol and drugs to cope with the illness, hospitalisation, consultant fees, hospice care, funeral costs, grave maintenance
Treating g us like cash cows from birth to grave is big business fervour elites. Why would the roadies like reeves and starmer want to get off that gravy train. Cynic that I am sometimes.
The House of Lords, as currently configured is an insult to democracy. The House of Commons and the elected government are a product of democracy. Democracy is a Good Thing.
Interesting, then that The House of Lords Committee should produce such a sensible, well argued and necessary paper, which the government will ignore.
You left out the answer in your last sentence. It is left to us … to do what.
That’s to work out
The response probably has to come from the ground up . Local groups promoting local produce etc in the country . But in the cities the farmers markets etc are too expensive for those struggling to put even cheap processed food on the table . One solution could be to kick start a grow veg ( and eggs ? And rabbits? ) on wasteland , in backyards , guerrilla gardening of bits of council land etc. When the Soviet Union imploded and abandoned Cuba , Havana became probably the veg garden capital of the world . Now every possible space is used to grow healthy food .
Plus education education education, but again local and from us the people , the government will never do it .
Food supply is a massive issue.
Part of the solution can be to influence, persuade, lobby etc, local institutions to purchase and provide healthier and plant based foods – for instance, central purchasing and provision of school meals, ‘plant based councils’ (and now churches, although that’s hardly mass catering!).
National government may be phoney-democratic and captured by corporate food industry lobbyists on the regulatory side, but intermediate level and more local bodies hopefully not; and can move on the demand side.
And of course none of this will be reported by the @BBC – which seems more under the control of government than it has ever been (see Israel).
The food / health scandal is far too important for them to report . They would much rather endlessly recycle Yvette Cooper’s agenda for the weekend about AI images of children. Labour obviously judge that this will be much more headline catching – and also responds to Musk’s charge that Labour encourages the abuse of children.
This continues their self destructive strategy of moving onto Reform/Musk terrain rather than carving out their own narrative – which should be about elimination of child poverty homelessness, reversing inequality etc etc.
Presumably some of Labour’s ‘donors’ are from the ‘food’ industry – along with all the other destructive Labour funders – oil gas pharma private healthcare Israel etc.
We can all see this happening in plain sight – our worst nightmare.
“Freebie” Starmer has shown us he’s willing to take money from any rich individual but hates getting found out! Whatever happened to Labour Party values? Well guess what Starmer gutted the party and given the green light to MP’s to shill for the rich!
This is a really interesting article. It’s made me realise the government is making a fundamental error in their pursuit of “growth”
It is companies that grow their earnings. But as a country as a whole growth only comes from the people.
Making people sad, scared and unhealthy won’t help growth overall. Although it may help a few parasitic industries.
A healthy, happy and confident population will be much better for growth. They will cost the country less, be more productive and have money to spend.
Reading various headlines today, trying to build up a picture of the world, I note that Trump is going after the EU, calling them an ‘atrocity on Trade,’ but is talking of softening on the UK. I take this to mean we have already capitulated to the Trump regime, and our alliance will be with them, not our historical neigbours with whom we used to share values. Clamping down on the food industry would upset the Americans, and their predatory food corporations, so of course, we can’t do that.
And the US food is beyond disgusting- so many additives , hormones , antibiotics , pesticides, herbicides etc long abandoned by European countries . To allow that muck into the UK would be truly a criminal attack on the people .
Agreed
Chlorinated chicken, etc. here we come!
Bloody well said Richard – the government is indeed a fully paid up mouthpiece.
Joe Burlington – if you want to control the quality of your bread, get a bread machine, the best you can afford (bread machines can speed up the home made process).
Alternatively, it really does not take long to make bread – if you have the time to keep an eye on it proving. The actual make is quick. It just gets spread over time.
I cannot understand why people need so much processed food. Is cookery still taught in schools? Simple home cooked meals are far cheaper – yes I do realise that people work and so are short of time, but it does not take long to chop up some vegetables and other ingredients and maybe use a slow cooker which can safely be left on low whilst out at work. Slow cooking means you can use cheaper cuts of meat and lower priced ingredients such as beans, lentils and root vegetables such as potatoes, sweet potatoes, carrots and onions. This will help retain the goodness in the food and does result in a far healthier diet and indeed a ‘one pot meal’. A microwave can also be used for fresh ingredients including jacket potatoes. Pizzas and other takeaways are fine once in a while, but are costly and frequently heavily salted and include UPFs. There are breakfast cereals and supermarket breads that are only minimally processed. Regulation is certainly necessary, as is education regarding healthy diet including re the harm that UPF can do if eaten too frequently.
For reason of my wife’s serious illness at the time I was pretty much sole parent to my sons, and her sole carer, during their teenage years. Most nights I gave myself 30 minutes to cook a meal from basic ingredients. I occasionally slow cooked for the day if out (they loved the smells first thing in the morning) but usually the meal was started to table in half an hour. I loved doing so. It usually took less time than getting a takeaway, was tastier and much cheaper. I think space and facilities are a reason for not cooking. But meals are really not hard otherwise. Now my wife is fully recovered, and had become a really good cook……
For some families in the most extreme need, the capital cost of cooking appliances can be a problem, especially bread makers and air fryers. Some food charities give away slo-cookers.
But all this is just sticking plaster, if you are a disabled person about to lose sev £thousand/yr due to Liz Kendall’s DWP cuts.
Agreed.
yes – but equate the cost of more expensive UPF in the long run – so it does come down to educating people to save money in the long run – the problem being not many people in need can look that far forward – so perhaps charities could provide lessons and slow cookers? It will take much work but will surely be beneficial in the long run = those who want to be educated into better diets and cheaper meals, rather than popping out for a pizza/takeaway.
YouTube can provide all the education required.
Bit it’s also littered with ads for takaway food.
Some of the people who understand this best, are, perversely those who are forced into using food projects run by local authorities and charities by austerity and political corruption.
The foodbank movement has come a long way since 2010, and is into education in nutrition, budgeting, healthy eating, fresh food, community gardening, sharing, and surplus food recycling – but is being overwhelmed by the escalating need.
My fellow omnibus passengers know more about budgeting, healthy diets, and smart food shopping than their MPs do. Never underestimate them. Particularly the young mums.
Their MPs are determined to force them into debt, destroy our food security and kill them young with UPF. But they won’t succeed!
Thanks Robert. And your work is appreciated.
The response and contributors comments on the Obesity Health Alliance website are very critical too, and worth noting – https://obesityhealthalliance.org.uk/2025/01/30/holgov/
The preventative health approach of the government is undermined by its defensive answer to the HoL Food, Diet and Obesity Committee Report and unwillingness to act on the Lords’ recommendations.
Thanks
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