Mismatches between UK food supply and dietary guidelines: A dietary gap assessment

Objective: To examine how aligned the UK food supply is with the Eatwell Guide and identify discrepancies that should be addressed to support the availability of healthy diets for the population. Design: A dietary gap assessment was carried out on the 2022 UK food supply with FAOSTAT Food Balance Sheets (FAO-FBS) data, including domestic production, imports and exports and excluding animal feed, seeds and non-food uses. Foods were grouped into potatoes and cereals, oils and spreads, dairy products, protein, fruit and vegetables and sugar. The percentage contribution of each food group to the food supply was compared with the Eatwell Guide. An overview of the food supply from 2010 to 2022 was also created. To triangulate the data, FAO-FBS data were compared with the 2022 data from the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA). Setting: UK, 2010–2022 Participants: N/A Results: The proportion of fruit and vegetables, potatoes and cereals in the UK food supply was lower than the Eatwell Guide, while dairy products and oil were higher. Only 7 % of the food produced in the UK in 2022 was fruit and vegetables. This was the second smallest proportion, after oils and spreads (6 %), and about half the amount of sugar beet produced (13 %). Conclusion: Although the relationship between food supply and consumption is complex, taking a more coherent approach by integrating dietary recommendations with the food supply could help increase the availability of the recommended healthy diet. Going forward, DEFRA should include dietary gap assessments in future Food Security Reports.