Research Assesses Impact Of Climate Change On Food Safety And Availability Of Healthy Food In Britain

Research conducted by the U.K.’s University of East Anglia for the Food Standards Agency (FSA) suggests that decreased food availability will lead to higher prices and push consumers towards processed foods with higher sugar and fat content. The researchers believe that the FSA, which is charged with protecting the public's health and consumer interests in relation to food, will have to boost efforts to encourage healthier eating including using nutritional surveys and enhanced monitoring. While the researchers point to the need for additional work on a number of fronts to better understand likely upcoming changes and the impact on food supply, they also suggest that increased pathogens and additional food-borne disease and other changing risks will intensify unpredictability and require broader oversight to isolate new risks.