Catering

Eating out has become one of the trends most affecting today’s food system, with people in the UK now spending almost as much eating out as at home, and the trend is growing in middle and low-income countries too.

The food service sector has recently found itself at the centre of discussions about rocketing rates of obesity around the world. But the other issues surrounding eating out, about consumer health, workers’ rights, corporate responsibility, animal welfare and the environment are less exposed, due in part to the diversity of the sector.

• The food we eat outside the home tends to be fattier, saltier, more sugary and lower in fruit and vegetables
• Consumers are faced with little choice and transparency about their food when eating out
• As catering becomes more industrialised, so do methods of animal husbandry, potentially contributing to animal welfare and environmental problems
• Waste from the UK food service sector is thought to rival that of supermarkets and most of it ends up in landfill
• The top 10 US fast food chains provide employment for 5 million workers globally, but many are underpaid, overworked, insecure in their jobs and at risk from injury.

Recommendations

• Government should prioritise improved nutritional and ethical standards in public catering
• Industry should be more transparent, allowing consumers sustainable and healthy choices
• Government and industry should work together to protect workers’ rights and animal welfare
• Grassroots community catering projects should be encouraged and supported, including through public procurement