New figures show increased use of British produce in public sector food

Britain’s hospital patients, civil servants, armed forces personnel and others eating in government establishments are being treated to menus that increasingly feature seasonal, home-grown food, said Farming and Environment Minister Jane Kennedy.

Ms Kennedy said that the latest figures on the amount of British food used by the public sector showed that the Government was taking the necessary action to create a level playing field for local food producers and suppliers.

Ms Kennedy said:

"If you eat an egg in a hospital, government canteen or army barracks in Britain, that egg will be British, and the milk in your tea will almost certainly be British, which is the result of the Government’s drive to buy more local produce and support local businesses.

"Small and local producers are the lifeblood of our food industry, and that’s why we’ve made such an effort to increase the amount of local, seasonal food served by public bodies.

"Buying local food and eating with the seasons where it’s possible reduces the impact on the environment and supports our businesses, and the government is looking even further at how to increase the amount of British food we buy and increasing the opportunities for small producers and suppliers to tender for government contracts."

Across the board, the proportion of British food used by government departments has increased since the first report, particularly among the big buyers. For example:

* The NHS Supply Chain now sources 70 per cent of its food from domestic sources, compared with 58.5 per cent a year ago.

* The Ministry of Defence has increased the amount of British produce it uses from 43 per cent in 2007 to 59 per cent in 2008.

* The National Offender Management Service (previously HM Prison

Service) figures show an increase from 37 per cent to 49 per cent this year.

Figures for the proportion of domestically produced food used by Government departments also reveal that from 1 April 2007 to 31 March

2008:

* 100 per cent of eggs used by government departments were British.

* Almost 100 per cent of all milk supplied to Government Departments came from the UK.

* At least two thirds of all public sector menus use seasonal produce.

The report is part of the monitoring of the Public Sector Food Procurement Initiative (PSFPI), one of the key aims of which is to increase tendering opportunities for small and local food producers to help them win contracts to supply government departments and other public bodies.