1. Changing diets over the past 75 years
British Nutrition Foundation
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Alex White
24/03/2018
Cardiff conference

2. Changing diets over the past 75 years
The Family Food Survey
Family food survey timeline
Fruit and vegetable consumption over the past 75 years
Meat consumption over the past 75 years
How the composition of red meat has changed
How to cut down on saturated fat
Nutrition in the news
Summary

3. The family food survey
Family Food has existed in one form or another for 75 years straight.
Started in 1940 with the first report published in 1951.
The data produced have been used to support and inform Government policy, as well as academic research.

4. Family food survey timeline

5. Family food survey timeline
UK's first supermarket opens - in South London.
1953 – 40% of household expenditure spent on food (20% in 1985, 10.7% in 2005).
1954 – Food rationing ends.
1956 – 8% of households own a fridge (33% in 1962).
1970 – 3% of households own a freezer (23% in 1975).
1989 – 41% of households own a microwave (92% in 2015).
– Number of coffee outlets grew by 847%.
political, technical and cultural changes
1952, sugar, butter, cheese, margarine, cooking fat, bacon, meat and tea were all still rationed

6. Family food survey timeline
1945 – 30% of household energy expenditure on bread (11% in 2014).
1993 – Skimmed milk purchases overtake whole milk for the first time.
There have also been changes in meat and fruit and vegetable consumption over the past 75 years.

7. Changes in fruit and vegetable consumption
Family Food Survey, 2015

8. Changes in fruit and vegetable consumption
Overall purchases of fruit and vegetables rose slightly between 2012 and 2015.
Consumers spending more on fresh vegetables and fresh fruit.
Spending on processed vegetables and fruit fell during the same period.
11% of fruit and vegetables consumed in 1947 were home grown.
In 2015, 3.8 per cent of all the fresh fruit and vegetables entering the household came from free sources, mainly gardens and allotments.
Family Food Survey, 2015

9. Changes in fruit and vegetable consumption in Wales
National Survey for Wales 2016
NDNS Wales 2015

10. Changes in fruit and vegetable consumption in Wales
8% of adults in Wales did not consume any fruit or vegetables the previous day.
National Survey for Wales 2016

11. Changes in fibre consumption
Family Food Survey, 2015

12. Changes in meat consumption
Since 2007 –
Purchases of beef have fallen by 18.7% and purchases of lamb have fallen by 36.8%.
2015 consumption –
Beef and veal: 102 grams/person/week
Mutton and lamb: 35 grams/person/week
Purchases of raw carcase meat have been on a downward trend since 2010, and after a spike last year, fell again
by 4.2 per cent in Beef, which accounts for around half of raw carcase meat purchases increased by 1.0
per cent on 2014, but fell by 1.5 per cent on Purchases of pork were 9.5 per cent down on 2012 and 12 per
cent down on 2014.
Before 1953, chickens were mainly reared for their eggs not their meat. In that year the first chicken “broiler shed” opened and from this point on chicken’s popularity grew and it is now our most popular meat.
During and just after World War II pork and fish purchases were affected in different ways. During the war home production of bacon was sacrificed to save on animal feed and with rationing and short supplies of bacon and ham plus the high cost of pork compared to other meats, this led to a sharp fall in purchases.
Communities set up neighbourhood Pig Clubs to buy a pig, then feed it scraps from the households involved. In many towns, the councils put food waste bins in the streets into which went peelings and scraps to be sent to farms to feed pigs. From a spike in 1944 when supplies were around 90 per cent of pre-war levels, purchases fell to their lowest point in 1947 and gradually increased to mid-war levels by 1950.
Family Food Survey, 2015

13. Meat consumption in Wales
NDNS Wales 2015
The Food & You Survey, 2016

14. Red Meat http://bit.ly/2rDrwdY
Government advice is to limit consumption of red and processed meat – those who eat more than 90g per day are advised to reduce this to 70g, which is the average level of consumption in the UK.
Red meat;
is rich in many essential nutrients;
is one of the most bioavailable sources of dietary iron;
The protein in red meat contains all the essential amino acids.
Advances in animal husbandry and butchery techniques over the last 40 years have resulted in a reduction in the fat content of carcass meat by 10-30% (Meatandhealth.com).

15. Saturated fat
Some types of red and processed meat are high in fat, especially saturated fat.
Eating a lot of saturated fat can raise cholesterol levels in the blood.
Reducing consumption of saturated fat contributes to the maintenance of normal blood cholesterol levels and replacing it with unsaturated fat can help reduce blood cholesterol.
Having high blood cholesterol raises your risk of heart disease.
Meatandhealth.com

16. Changes in saturated fat consumption
Family Food Survey, 2015

17. Percentage contribution of food groups to average daily saturated fat intake
National Diet and Nutrition Survey, 2016

18. Percentage contribution of food groups to average daily saturated fat intake
National Diet and Nutrition Survey, 2016

19. How to cut down on saturated fat and make healthier choices with meat
Choose leaner cuts of meat.
Try to limit meat products that are processed (e.g. sausages, burgers, pate, chorizo, salami) as they can be high in fat and/or salt.
Trim off any visible fat.
Try to grill or bake instead of fry.
If roasting, place on a metal rack over a roasting tin to allow the fat to run off.
Minimise the use of fats such as butter or oils when cooking meats and avoid adding extra fat where possible e.g. by using a non-stick pan.
Drain the fat from your cooked mince before adding vegetables, herbs, spices and sauces.

20. The family food survey
Has enabled dietary trends to be analysed helping to predict future consumption.
Allows consumer reaction to political, technical and cultural changes in the food sector to be identified.
‘Family Food data provides insights into the way we live through the food we buy.’

21. Nutrition in the news
Childhood Obesity Plan – includes introducing a soft drinks industry levy and taking out 20% of sugar in products (reformulation).
Sugar Tax - a tax on sugar-containing soft drinks will come in from April across the UK with the levy invested in programmes to reduce obesity.
SACN (Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition) report on saturated fat and health due in the first quarter of 2018.
Recommendations on calories for meals eaten out should be coming out this spring.
Children receive the highest proportion of their added sugar intake from such drinks.

22. PHE Calorie reduction programme
Estimates of the excess calories consumed by overweight and obese children and adults of different ages.
Plans for a programme of work with the food industry to reduce calories by 20% by 2024, in 15 savoury food categories using reformulation and /or reductions in portion sizes.
The launch of the One You campaign, Know your numbers, giving ‘a rule of thumb’ for adults on the calories to consume at main meals.

23. Summary Many changes in food consumption over the last 75 years.
Many have been due to political, technical and cultural changes.
With regards to meat; poultry consumption has increased since 1952 and in the last 30 years fish consumption has increased slightly whilst red meat consumption has decreased.
The saturated fat content of red meat has reduced over the past 40 years.
There are government initiatives in place for further improvements in the nation’s diet.

24. Further resources Family food survey http://bit.ly/2m30KDw
National Survey for Wales
Food Statistics Pocketbook
British food and farming at a glance
National Diet and Nutrition Survey (NDNS) 
SACN (Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition)
Food Statistics Pocketbook
covering the economic, social and environmental aspects of the food we eat

25. BNF resources Food a fact of life http://www.foodafactoflife.org.uk
British Nutrition Foundation

26. Thank you Alex White a.white@nutrition.org.uk
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