Content warning: eating disorders. From April 2022, large food service businesses (including restaurants, cafes and takeaways) in England are required to display calorie information for food intended for immediate consumption. The legislation is part of the government’s strategy to tackle obesity. Critics say the move may make it difficult for people who experience eating disorders to visit restaurants.

This paper reviews studies on the interactions between weight loss and food environments in several high-income countries. It finds that unsupportive food environments can undermine people’s efforts to lose weight or maintain weight loss in many ways, especially for people on a low income.

Plating Up Progress, a project run by the UK charity The Food Foundation, has published its 2021 report, which analyses how various UK food sectors are performing on health, environmental and social inclusion issues. 

This report from UK NGO Eating Better finds that 80% of UK public sector caterers surveyed  - including schools, healthcare and universities - have committed to reducing meat content in their menus, with 83% increasing the amount of beans and pulses they offer. 60% have been using more meat replacement products, 60% said they were using less pork and processed meat, and 56% said they were reducing or removing meat-based dishes from the menu cycle. Over 20% of caterers say they are using more chicken in their dishes. The changes are attributed primarily to concerns about climate, health, nature and animal welfare. 

This book offers a range of case studies to illustrate how food systems can be designed for sustainability, covering food supply chains, new food experiences such as food robots in restaurants, methods for food and sustainability education, and food community engagement.

This paper co-authored by Table member Toni Meier quantifies the levels, environmental impacts and reduction potential of food waste produced in the business, healthcare and hospitality food service subsectors in Germany. It finds that significant waste reductions could be achieved within one year, with the greatest potential reduction of 17% being found in the healthcare subsector.

Table member Madeleine Diment has co-authored this feature in Food Science and Technology, which summarises key insights, themes and recommendations from the literature on how to create resilient food systems. It is based on interviews with food system actors, including representatives of hospitality, catering and government.

In this paper, FCRN member Gesa Biermann uses a survey of German consumers to explore the different meanings and expectations attached to eating at home and eating in restaurants. The study shows that meat-eating is more common in restaurants than at home, for example 59% of flexitarian respondents ate more meat at a restaurant than at home. This is attributed to perceptions of eating meat in restaurants being an opportunity to treat oneself and celebrate special occasions. The paper suggests that to encourage plant-based eating in restaurants, the meaning of plant-based foods must become more aligned with notions of “the good life” (for example, relating to ideas about hospitality, generosity and pleasure).

This paper co-authored by FCRN member Emma Garnett finds that placing vegetarian options first on the counter of student cafeterias increases their sales by 5-6% when the different options are widely spaced (>1.5m), but not when the options are close together (<1.0m).