Removing Ultra-Processed Food… 

Our Good report highlights the damaging impact of ultra-processed food – and shows how to remove it from schools, hospitals, care homes and prisons

Today at Well-Fed we launch our latest report, Good: removing ultra-processed food.

It combines the latest research, industry insight and feedback from our customers to dissect how – and why – we must remove ultra-processed food from the public supply chain. And it implores policy makers across the UK move away from the ultra-processed food industry, to fresh, locally produced meals.

To truly benefit public health, it is vital that public sector commissioning moves towards encouraging/ protecting quality and social value = 45% quality – 30% cost – 25% social value.

We believe that a social food model for public sector contracts is needed now, to make sure we can feed everyone well, regardless of income.

Good also outlines the damaging effects UPF is having on our long-term health. Industrially manufactured to be convenient and cheap, and with more healthy foods over twice as expensive per calorie as less healthy options, UPFs are found in 75% of current school meals and 56% of calories consumed by older children and adults. Well-Fed is the first food company in the UK to commit to taking all UPFs out of our menu by December 2023.

As a regular part of a person’s diet UPF increases their risk of:

• Cancer by 10%

• Dementia by 26%

• Alzheimer’s by 14%

• The chances of heart attacks, strokes, diabetes, depression, irritable bowel syndrome and early death by 26%