Cabinet Office food analysis

The UK Cabinet Office has published a broad-ranging analysis of food trends and issues. It estimates that better diet could save 70,000 lives a year in the UK. The study is one of the first projects that Gordon Brown asked the Cabinet Office's Strategy Unit to work on when he became Prime Minister in 2007. It takes a cross-cutting look at environmental issues, health, our changing food culture, social justice and the economy. Today's report is a preliminary analysis. The project continues and is expected to inform government policy.

Tom MacMillan, Executive Director of the Food Ethics Council, is a member of the project's independent expert panel, which provides critical challenge and advice. He says:

"The Strategy Unit project is a welcome and timely effort to grapple with the cross-cutting challenges we face around food, including climate change, public health and the future of the countryside. This first report collects a wealth of information and will feed a lively debate with stakeholders. I'm delighted that it has been published. The task now is to see how this analysis can help government take a lead on issues where it lags behind industry and civil society."

The document can be downloaded by clicking here: www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk