Hello to more chips (french fries), pasta and fresh fruit, and a push back from white bread, tinned peas and meat paste. These are the headlines from the National Food Survey, which has tracked 150,000 households since 1974. The data has been compiled and released by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, which is part of the British government.
The survey began in 1940 and the civil servants responsible have been assiduously compiling statistics ever since about the eating and shopping habits of the British populace. Speaking with The Guardian, the environment secretary, Elizabeth Truss, said: “Food is the heart and soul of our society and this data not only shows what we were eating 40 years ago, but how a change in culture has led to a food revolution.”
The data reveals shifts in health — not always for the better. In a generally positively direction is the decline in consumption of white bread, made from refined flour, to types based on wholegrains. Sales of white bread have fallen by 75 percent over the duration of the survey, with sales of wholemeal bread climbing by 85 percent. In a similarly better direction, sales of skimmed milk, as opposed to whole fat milk,, have also risen. Now skimmed and semi-skimmed milk outsells full fat milk by a ratio of four to one.
The milk example is seen as an indicator of the success of some healthy eating initiatives, given full fat milk and skimmed milk retail for around the same price. Speaking with the BBC, Emma Jayne Abbots, lecturer in social and cultural anthropology and heritage at University of Wales Trinity St Davids noted: “Switching to skimmed milk was heavily promoted in the late 1990s as part of a focus on heart health and cholesterol levels.”
To off-set this healthy direction, consumption of fried chips has risen by one third in forty years. Other food choice changes are of interest. In 1974, liver was a common meat choice during the week. Now, liver, like offal, has fallen in sales by a massive 92 percent. Meat buying is much more orientated towards chicken.
Sales of pasta reflect the popularity for Italian food in the U.K. Between 1998 and 2014, sales of pasta doubled. The biggest rise across all foods has been seen with pizza. Between 1975 and 2014, sales rose by over 1,000 percent.
Another interesting statistic is the relative price of food. As a proportion of household budgets, food shopping has become cheaper. In 1974, 24 percent of the household budget went on food compared with 11 percent today. This may be to the determent of quality, however, with cheaper pre-processed foods being purchased in greater quantities.
Sales of tea also continue to decline. Tea is still the most popular hot drink. However, the drink once regarded as quintessentially English has been hit by the rise of specialty coffees.
