The briefing estimates that a shift to more plant-based wholefoods like vegetables, pulses and legumes in UK hospital meals could save the NHS £54.9 million per year directly on procurement costs. These savings could then be partially reinvested in procuring more British food from SMEs and organic farmers.
These changes to the new Government’s procurement rules to prioritise healthy options would improve the nation’s overall health and reduce NHS costs, says the new briefing to the Ministers.
The briefing has been endorsed by 25 health and sustainability organisations including Feedback Global, Sustain, Food Foundation, Centre for Sustainable Healthcare, Doctors’ Association UK, School Food Matters, Organic Farmers & Growers and Fairtrade Foundation.
‘Serving Up: Aligning public procurement of food for UK public institutions with healthy sustainable diets’ calls for three key policy recommendations for the Government. They include reforming the Eatwell Guide dietary guidelines so that they factor in sustainability, mandating food buying standards and providing adequate funding to ensure a right to food approach.
Martin Bowman, senior campaigns manager at Feedback, commented: “The Labour Government has a huge opportunity to save the NHS money, boost the nation’s health and reach its climate targets by serving up more healthy sustainable meals in schools and hospitals.
“Placing delicious plant-based wholefoods front and centre would improve uptake and turbo-charge Britain’s health and sustainability, while resulting in savings that could be invested in a shift to more organic foods and meat produced to higher animal welfare and sustainability standards, supporting British farmers.
“Currently high-emissions meat and dairy is the default meal option, often making it difficult to choose to anything else – our schools and hospitals can make healthy sustainable meals more abundant, without taking away any freedom of choice. We also need universal free school meals to ensure no child goes hungry in one of the richest countries in the world.”
According to the Independent Review into Public Sector Food Procurement an estimated £5Bn is spent annually on public procurement of food and catering services in the UK. The briefing recommends:
- Creating a binding target to ensure emissions per meal are reduced to help meet the UK’s climate targets
- The prioritisation of UK-sourced and plant-based whole foods
- Ensuring high animal welfare and sustainability standards for meat and fish that is served
- Extending free school meals to all children
- High-standard public meals should be a legal guarantee, with compliance monitored
- Adopt a less-but-better approach to meat
- Ensuring at least two portions of vegetables or pulses in every school meal
Stephanie Slater, founder and chief executive at School Food Matters, said: “Every child deserves access to healthy, nutritious, and sustainable school food. We fully support the recommendations published today, including extending free school meals - a policy proven to create healthier, happier children who achieve more academically.
“But addressing access alone isn’t enough; we also need consistently high-quality meals in every school, which is why updating school food standards and introducing mandatory monitoring must be a priority.”