Food processing, food services, and consumption-oriented reforms

Tim Lang, Lise Justesen, Enni Mertanen

Publikation: Bidrag til tidsskriftKonferenceabstrakt i tidsskriftpeer review

Abstract

The food service sector is diverse and growing; it includes an important part of the food chain, between industry and customers. But food service managers make many decisions in advance, with consequently less customer choice than in the retail sector. Food service organisations are important players in health promoting policy interventions, including the integration of sustainable and healthy diets into all food services provision.

The EUPHA report summarises actions that governments and individuals might take to achieve more sustainable and healthy diets. However, there is a comparative lack of policy or research about how to achieve this in the food service sector.

New approaches to menus are needed; consumption and choice of vegetables should be increased. Seasonal products should be preferred and there should always be a vegetarian option. The number and size of meat dishes should be reduced; meat might appear only in a side dish. Vegetarian proteins should be preferred, and vegetarian days promoted. New research, on food waste, procurement, sustainable production, energy and water assessment, and disposable packaging, will be discussed.

The evidence about the unsustainability of food system is overwhelming, providing policy support for reducing diet’s impact on human health, environment and social inequalities. Attention has concentrated on changes preceding choice of consumption of food; strategies such as ‘choice-editing’ attempt to change outcomes without affecting consumer interests. Limitations of a production-oriented strategy will be discussed; inclusion of consumers is essential in the scale and pace of change that is needed. How and why the EU and developed economies must experiment with population behaviour change will be highlighted. Governments have been slow to engage, lagging behind leadership charted by civil society and by some food companies. The EU must reinvigorate its commitment to Sustainable Consumption and Production (SCP) policies.
OriginalsprogEngelsk
TidsskriftEuropean Journal of Public Health
Vol/bind28
Udgave nummersuppl. 4
Sider (fra-til)289-290
ISSN1101-1262
DOI
StatusUdgivet - 21 nov. 2018
BegivenhedEUPHA Section on Food and Nutrition: Workshop on literature review of all aspects of sustainable healthy nutrition - Banovci, Slovenien
Varighed: 27 jun. 201628 dec. 2016

Workshop

WorkshopEUPHA Section on Food and Nutrition: Workshop on literature review of all aspects of sustainable healthy nutrition
Land/OmrådeSlovenien
ByBanovci
Periode27/06/1628/12/16

Emneord

  • Sundhed, ernæring og livskvalitet
  • Foodservice

Citationsformater