At the QEII Centre in Westminster, the PS100 campaign group led by Cost Sector Catering magazine will unveil findings that point to huge healthcare and benefits cost savings to be made by the Government influencing the diets of people it is responsible for feeding.
These include children in schools, hospital patients, care home residents, community meals recipients, prisoners and the military.
The report will point to the fact the UK Government’s public spending in 2011 was £681.3bn, of which 0.3% is dedicated to serving meals in the public sector.
It will show that increasing that level by just one or two percentage points to improve the provision of healthy meals in this sector stands to generate significant savings over the next 10-20 years.
PS100 is supported by all the major catering industry groups including LACA (Local Authority Caterers’ Association), the HCA (Hospital Caterers’ Association), the NACC (National Association of Care Catering), PACE (Professional Association of Catering Education).
It also has the backing of dietitians (British Dietetic Association), nutritionists, healthcare professionals, all the major contract catering companies and many of the industry’s major food, drink and equipment suppliers.
The two key aims of the PS100 group are to establish lifetime nutrition plans that provide minimum food standards for everyone who is fed at taxpayer expense, and to introduce protected mealtimes that allow everyone to have the time, help and environment they need to enjoy their meal.
Look out for an e-petition on the Cost Sector Catering website that will allow everyone who supports these aims to register their backing.
Register to attend the PS 100 report launch