A Recipe for Health: Fixing the UK’s Broken Food System
As a member of the House of Lords Food, Diet and Obesity Committee, I was proud to contribute to the recent report, “Recipe for Health: A Plan to Fix Our Broken Food System.” This work lays out a bold and urgent agenda for reform because right now, our food system is not just failing us, it is harming us.
Over 60% of UK adults are overweight or obese. The health consequences, including rising rates of diabetes, heart disease, and diet-related cancers, are not just personal tragedies. They are placing immense pressure on our National Health Service, costing billions every year. But let’s be clear: this crisis is not simply about personal choice. It is about a system rigged for profit at the expense of public health.
A System Built on Ultra-Processed Profits
Our shelves and high streets are saturated with ultra-processed foods high in sugar, salt, and unhealthy fats, peddled by global corporations like Nestlé, PepsiCo, and fast-food giants. These products now make up more than half of the average British diet, one of the highest rates in Europe.
This is no accident. These foods are cheap to produce, have long shelf lives, and are engineered to be addictive. The business model is clear: profit from overconsumption. And through powerful lobbying efforts, these corporations have successfully delayed or watered down policies intended to protect public health.
A stark example is the HFSS advertising restrictions, rules aimed at limiting junk food marketing to children. These policies were delayed after intense industry lobbying, with trade bodies citing “harm to innovation” and “job losses.” In reality, a generation of children continues to be targeted before they can even make informed choices.
Supermarkets and Misinformation
Supermarkets are not innocent bystanders. With a few major retailers dominating the market, shelf space often goes to the highest bidder, processed food brands, while fresh, local, and nutritious options are pushed aside, especially in low-income communities.
Misleading packaging is another barrier to health. Products labelled “low fat” or “high protein” are still packed with sugar or additives. It creates confusion and undermines public health messaging.
Voluntary Measures Have Failed
We’ve tried voluntary approaches before, like the Public Health Responsibility Deal, and they have failed. Reformulation is avoided because it risks losing that addictive ‘bliss point’ and, with it, profits. Meanwhile, companies fund research that shifts the blame onto individual consumers rather than the products themselves.
This comes at a public cost. Six billion pounds a year is spent on obesity-related illness. That is money that could transform schools, social care, or housing, while corporations continue to make billions from products that harm public health.
A Bold Plan for Change
The Committee’s report outlines clear and ambitious reforms. These include:
Mandatory reformulation targets for salt, sugar, and fat, backed by real penalties. The Soft Drinks Industry Levy reduced sugar content in sodas by 44%. Imagine applying that success across food categories.
A total ban on junk food marketing, especially to children. Kids should not grow up under constant commercial pressure to eat foods that make them sick.
Subsidies for healthy foods, so that fruits, vegetables, and whole grains become affordable for all.
Higher taxes on ultra-processed foods, with revenue redirected to community kitchens, school meals, and public health campaigns.
Stronger supermarket regulations, including rules on product placement to ensure fresh food is visible and accessible in every community.
Transparent front-of-pack labelling that consumers can trust, cutting through the industry's spin.
Health Must Not Be a Luxury
We need to shift power away from multinational corporations and towards communities, families, and public wellbeing. It is time to prioritise health over profit and build a food system that nourishes rather than exploits.
This is not about demonising food or limiting choice. It is about making the healthy choice the easy choice. It's about holding those who profit from poor health accountable. And it's about recognising that good nutrition should never be a privilege of the wealthy, but a right for all.
The government must act. We have the evidence. We have the solutions. What we need now is political will.
Let’s fix this broken system for our children, our NHS, and our collective future.
