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The Growing Price Gap between More and Less Healthy Foods: Analysis of a Novel Longitudinal UK Dataset

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  • Nicholas R V Jones
  • Annalijn I Conklin
  • Marc Suhrcke
  • Pablo Monsivais

Abstract

Objectives: The UK government has noted the public health importance of food prices and the affordability of a healthy diet. Yet, methods for tracking change over time have not been established. We aimed to investigate the prices of more and less healthy foods over time using existing government data on national food prices and nutrition content. Methods: We linked economic data for 94 foods and beverages in the UK Consumer Price Index to food and nutrient data from the UK Department of Health's National Diet and Nutrition Survey, producing a novel dataset across the period 2002–2012. Each item was assigned to a food group and also categorised as either “more healthy” or “less healthy” using a nutrient profiling model developed by the Food Standards Agency. We tested statistical significance using a t-test and repeated measures ANOVA. Results: The mean (standard deviation) 2012 price/1000 kcal was £2.50 (0.29) for less healthy items and £7.49 (1.27) for more healthy items. The ANOVA results confirmed that all prices had risen over the period 2002–2012, but more healthy items rose faster than less healthy ones in absolute terms:£0.17 compared to £0.07/1000 kcal per year on average for more and less healthy items, respectively (p

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  • Nicholas R V Jones & Annalijn I Conklin & Marc Suhrcke & Pablo Monsivais, 2014. "The Growing Price Gap between More and Less Healthy Foods: Analysis of a Novel Longitudinal UK Dataset," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 9(10), pages 1-7, October.
    • Handle: RePEc:plo:pone00:0109343
    DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0109343
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Per Pinstrup-Andersen, 2009. "Food security: definition and measurement," Food Security: The Science, Sociology and Economics of Food Production and Access to Food, Springer;The International Society for Plant Pathology, vol. 1(1), pages 5-7, February.
    2. Kuchler, Fred & Stewart, Hayden, 2008. "Price Trends Are Similar for Fruits, Vegetables, and Snack Foods," Economic Research Report 56447, United States Department of Agriculture, Economic Research Service.
    3. Carlson, Andrea & Frazao, Elizabeth, 2012. "Are Healthy Foods Really More Expensive? It Depends on How You Measure the Price," Economic Information Bulletin 142357, United States Department of Agriculture, Economic Research Service.
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    2. Jatinder Hayre & Allyson M. Pollock, 2022. "Children in poverty: Time for action to address rising inequalities in the United Kingdom," Poverty & Public Policy, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 14(4), pages 423-436, December.
    3. Masters, William A. & Bai, Yan & Herforth, Anna & Sarpong, Daniel & Mishili, Fulgence & Kinabo, Joyce & Coates, Jennifer C., 2017. "Measuring Access to Nutritious Diets in Africa: Novel Price Indexes for Diet Diversity and the Cost of Nutrient Adequacy," 2018 Allied Social Sciences Association (ASSA) Annual Meeting, January 5-7, 2018, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 264946, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association.
    4. Flora Douglas & Fiona MacKenzie & Ourega-Zoé Ejebu & Stephen Whybrow & Ada L. Garcia & Lynda McKenzie & Anne Ludbrook & Elizabeth Dowler, 2018. "“ A Lot of People Are Struggling Privately. They Don’t Know Where to Go or They’re Not Sure of What to Do ”: Frontline Service Provider Perspectives of the Nature of Household Food Insecurity in Scotl," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 15(12), pages 1-22, December.
    5. Selena Ahmed & Carmen Byker Shanks & Teresa Smith & Justin Shanks, 2018. "Fruit and vegetable desirability is lower in more rural built food environments of Montana, USA using the Produce Desirability (ProDes) Tool," Food Security: The Science, Sociology and Economics of Food Production and Access to Food, Springer;The International Society for Plant Pathology, vol. 10(1), pages 169-182, February.
    6. Rafael Moreira Claro & Vargas Hernandez & Joel Alberto & Satoru Shimokawa & Euna Han & Sharada Keats & Steve Wiggins, 2015. "The Rising Cost of a Healthy Diet – Changing Relative prices of Foods in High- Income and Emerging Economies," Working Papers id:7250, eSocialSciences.
    7. Marylynn Steckley & Joshua Steckley & Walner Osna & Magalie Civil & Steve Sider, 2023. "Food sovereignty for health, agriculture, nutrition, and gender equity: Radical implications for Haiti," Development Policy Review, Overseas Development Institute, vol. 41(6), November.
    8. Castiglione, Concetta & Mazzocchi, Mario, 2019. "Ten years of five-a-day policy in the UK: Nutritional outcomes and environmental effects," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 157(C), pages 185-194.
    9. Sands, Sean & Maggioni, Isabella & Ferraro, Carla & Jebarajakirthy, Charles & Dharmesti, Maria, 2019. "The vice and virtue of on-the-go consumption: An exploratory segmentation," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 51(C), pages 399-408.

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