Hospitals 'should buy more British food'
A campaign to encourage NHS Trusts to buy British food for hospitals has been launched. The Countryside Alliance used the Freedom of Information act and found only one in 10 hospitals know where the food they serve their patients has come from.
In addition, only 62% of food that is tracked comes from British producers, based on data from the 37 NHS Trusts that record where food is sourced from. This is up from 60% in 2008/2009 but there is more work to be done.
The campaign points out that not only does British food support local business, it is also often higher quality and richer in vitamins due to fewer food miles.
Alice Barnard, Chief Executive of The Countryside Alliance Foundation, said: “Evidence has shown that investing in local produce means investing in higher quality food for patients, which in turn improves their recovery, and puts a little back into the local economy.
“Although the current economic conditions are making life difficult for hospitals, the importance of buying high-quality British food should not be overlooked."
