Growing consumer distrust of food companies to produce healthy food
A number of high-profile food, health and children’s advocacy groups have sent an open letter to the Government urging them to go “further and faster” to create “real incentives to force the [food] industry to align with public health goals.” One of the lead signatories says that “The damage the food industry is doing to children’s health is the biggest threat to our nation’s wellbeing.”
This comes on the back of a YouGov poll that revealed that 74% of consumers believe food companies were not honest about the health impacts of their food, with high levels of processing emerging as the biggest concern. Most don’t believe that companies will reduce unhealthy ingredients without government intervention.
We’re all for healthier food, but we worry that the debate keeps getting steered towards meat versus plant-based rather than fresh versus ultra-processed, perhaps because it suits the business models of the large food brand owners.