Quadram Institute welcomes new House of Lords report on food, diet and obesity

24th October 2024

Quadram Institute Interim Director Professor Martin Warren today welcomed a new House of Lords select committee report on the societal challenges around food, diet and obesity.

The House of Lords select committee issued a call for evidence on food diet and obesity earlier this year. The committee considered the role of foods, such as ‘ultra-processed foods’ (UPFs) and foods high in fat, sugar and salt (HFSS) in a healthy diet, including how they influence health outcomes.

The committee’s hard-hitting report also assessed how shifts in behaviours and trends have impacted obesity, how government policies have influenced these shifts, and the role of the industry and the wider public in the public health landscape.

Professor Martin Warren said: “We welcome the House of Lords’ Food, Diet and Obesity Committee report. As the report highlights, food diet and obesity are not only a public health crisis but also a major economic problem. Poor diet and health are not only hampering the life chances of many, but also costing the NHS and the wider economy billions of pounds every year.

Over recent decades we have seen the proliferation of energy dense food which is lacking in key nutrients. As a nation, we need to focus on producing and consuming nutrient dense food. We welcome the recommendation that more research is needed into the mechanisms by which different foods (UPF or otherwise) influence health.

“At the Quadram Institute, we collaborate closely with health professionals and partners on the Norwich Research Park to develop foods that are not only rich in essential nutrients but also support a healthy microbiome. Our efforts aim to enhance the nutritional quality of the food supply and promote better health outcomes.”

Scientists from the Quadram Institute gave written evidence to the select committee along with evidence submitted by UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) also highlighted translational research on the Norwich Research Park. The UKRI evidence submission cites:

  • Quadram Institute researcher Dr Cat Edwards’ work with PulseON®, a novel ingredient derived from pulses which can increase the amount of resistant starch in processed foods to improve nutritional quality (a collaboration with King’s College London and New Food Innovation)
  • Vitamin B12 fortified pea shoots, commercially produced using aeroponics technology – these fortified pea shoots can provide as much vitamin B12 as two beef steaks and arises from a collaboration between the John Innes Centre, Quadram Institute and LettUs Grow
  • The key role of the Quadram Institute’s Food & Nutrition National Bioscience Research Infrastructure, providing new and updated data and knowledge on food composition and intake

Scientists at the Quadram Institute also highlighted that the very broad definition of UPF is an issue. The definition of UPF were originally designed to enable a general classification of foodstuffs to quantify the effects of consuming intensely processed foods on health in large scale mechanistic studies.

The definitions do not specifically take into account nutritional factors known to be deleterious to health such as high fat, salt and sugar content and requires further, more detailed mechanistic studies into food structure/texture, lack of micronutrients, HFSS, and the presence of additives/contaminants to name but a few.

  • You can read the full report of the House of Lords select committee on the Parliament website

Related Targets

Targeting Future Foods

Future Foods

Targeting food composition

Food Composition

Targeting personalised nutrition

Personalised Nutrition

Related Research Groups

Martin Warren

Related Research Areas

A green background with an illustration of a gut full of microbes.

Food, Microbiome and Health