DIET & HEALTH: THE FOOD INDUSTRY'S RESPONSE

The types of food eaten in the UK have changed enormously over the last century. Developments in food processing and preservation techniques have given rise to many ‘new’ processed foods, such as salted snack foods, instant dried meals, dairy spreads, and a variety of different sorts of confectionery. The food industry has responded to demand for luxury foods, novelty foods, special children's foods, cheap mass‐produced foods, long‐lasting food, and foods which are convenient and quick to prepare. There has been a great increase in the amount of processed food consumed. These changes are largely responsible for the present‐day dietary imbalance, with too much fat, too much sugar and salt and too little fibre, which nutritionists are advising us to alter.