The recent 2025 State of the Nation’s Food Industry report from the independent charity the Food Foundation suggests that the government cannot continue to leave progress on healthy and sustainable sales to the market alone.
To fix the UK’s food system, the organisation is calling for stronger, clearer mandatory frameworks on marketing, product composition, reporting, and lobbying transparency to push companies towards targets.
In its benchmark assessment of how 37 leading UK‑operating food retailers, out‑of‑home chains, manufacturers, and wholesalers are contributing to a healthy, sustainable and equitable food system, the flagship report finds that healthy, sustainable food remains out of reach for many UK households.
Some of the key findings include:
- Some 69% of train station food outlets visited offered no fruit at all and 85% had no vegetable snacks.
- On average, a week’s worth of healthy lunchbox items for children from UK supermarkets costs 26% more than a week’s worth of unhealthy lunchbox items.
- None of the 16 out of home businesses assessed has a sales-based target for increasing sales of healthy food, compared with all 11 of the UK’s major supermarkets who have a target or commitment.
- Just eight (22%) businesses have a sales-based target and disclose data for fruit and veg. A further three (8%) businesses disclose data on sales of fruit and veg but lack a target.
- Just 6% of ready meals and 7% of restaurant menu options contain pulses.
Read the full report here.