Innocent Drinks calls for better access to healthy food

A coalition of charities, food organisations and health advocates have joined Innocent to call on the government to address ‘fruit and veg desserts’ where people face significant barriers to finding fresh produce.

“It is a national scandal that in the UK, two-thirds of adults and nine out of ten children aren’t getting their recommended 400g of fruit and vegetables per day. This is particularly concerning when we know that a better diet can significantly improve or even reverse long-term health conditions,” says the letter.

One in ten deprived areas in the UK is classified as a food desert, meaning that more than 10m people live in areas where access to fresh produce is severely limited. In these areas, 41% of households lack access to a car to reach supermarkets.

The figures in the letter come from the National Diet and Nutrition Survey (NDNS) and research by the Social Market Foundation and Kellogg’s.

The letter calls for a collaborative approach, involving local authorities, charities, and the food industry, to make nutritious food available to all.

It argues for the creation of a national Fruit and Veg Forum to foster that collaboration, simplified funding models for charities, a Community Eatwell programme to provide targeted support, increased funding for the Healthy Start scheme, and greater education on healthy eating in schools.

The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) recently announced that it will create a new National Food Strategy this year.