Cambridge research reveals widening price disparity between more and less healthy foods

A study by Cambridge University has revealed a wide price gap between more and less healthy foods, with healthy foods costing three times more per calorie than less healthy foods.

As part of the study, the prices of around 94 food and beverage items were tracked between 2002 and 2012. This shows that the prices of more healthy foods rose consistently more than less healthy foods, and that the rises in prices have been more sharp over time.

The selected food and beverage items had been taken from the Office of National Statistics’ Consumer Price Index basket, which is used to measure inflation in the UK.

The study found that in 2002, 1,000kcal of more healthy food cost around £5.65, compared with the same quantity of energy from less healthy food at £1.77. However, by 2012 this cost had risen to £7.49 for more healthy and £2.50 for less healthy foods.

Researchers from the Centre for Diet and Activity Research (CEDAR) at the University of Cambridge cited people increasingly turning to less healthy food as the reason for this trend.

Lead author of the research Nicholas Jones said: "Food poverty and the rise of food banks have recently been an issue of public concern in the UK, but as well as making sure people don’t go hungry it is also important that a healthy diet is affordable.

"The increase in the price difference between more and less healthy foods is a factor that may contribute towards growing food insecurity, increasing health inequalities and a deterioration in the health of the population."

The study also stated that the cost of diet-related ill health to the National Health Service (NHS) was estimated to be around £5.8bn annually.

By combining datasets from the Consumer Price Index and the National Diet and Nutrition Survey, researchers identified the foods that were more or less healthy using an objective assessment of the foods’ nutrient content according to the nutrient profiling model of the UK Food Standards Agency.

Mr Jones added: "The finding shows that there could well be merit in public health bodies monitoring food prices in relation to nutrient content, hopefully taking into account a broader selection of foods than we were able to in this study."

The authors have also pointed to other studies that show that the EU’s Common Agricultural Policy can affect public health by influencing the availability and price of foods.

Senior author Dr Pablo Monsivais from CEDAR in Cambridge said: "To help achieve long-term improvements in eating habits, we need to address the high and rising prices of healthier foods, which is likely to be influenced by a number of factors, including agricultural policy and production, food distribution and retail pricing strategies.

"Additionally, there is growing evidence that targeted subsidies can promote healthy eating for people on low incomes."

---

Image: Healthy foods cost consumers three times more than junk food, says the Univeristy of Cambridge. Photo: courtesy of joephotostudio / freedigitalphotos.net.