Jim Paice MP, Minister of State for Agriculture and Food at the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, today announced the publication of Government Buying Standards for food bought by central government [1]. He said:

“Government Buying Standards are mandatory on Central Government and we will encourage the rest of the public sector to use them…... In particular, the standards deliver an undertaking for 100% sustainably sourced fish”.

While commitment to source 100% sustainable fish was welcomed, Alex Jackson, co-ordinator of the Good Food for Our Money campaign [2], stated:

“We are appalled that the Government has excluded hospitals and care homes from these compulsory nutritional standards for food served in the public sector. This is a missed opportunity to tackle diet-related ill health which costs the NHS £6 billion and causes thousands of premature deaths every year”.

For more information please contact Alex Jackson on Tel: 020 7837 1228 / Mobile: 07734 902909.
 
Notes to Editor

[1] The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs published Government Buying Standards today. For more details please go to:
http://www.defra.gov.uk/news/2011/06/16/government-buying-standards-food/

[2] See the Good Food for Our Money campaign at: http://www.sustainweb.org/goodfoodforourmoney/