Consumers Eat Less Fresh Produce As Food Prices Bite
- Mar 18
- 3 min read
UK households are reducing their fruit and vegetable purchases as food prices rise and food insecurity creeps up once again due to the Iran war, further exposing the country's food system vulnerability to global conflicts.
Over the last 30 days, more than half (53%) of food insecure households in the UK reduced their fruit purchases, while 40% cut back on vegetables, according a new food insecurity survey from The Food Foundation.
Even for those not food insecure, in the last month some 10% of households limited their fruit consumption, and 5.1% decreased their vegetable intake as rising numbers of families struggle to afford healthy, nutritious food.
The Food Foundation’s Basic Basket Tracker shows that the price of a typical shopping basket is 33% higher than it was in April 2022.
Increasing oil prices and a limited supply of fertiliser mean fears are growing over what a drawn out war in Iran could mean for food prices and food insecurity levels.
To that end, The Food Foundation is calling for the UK government to take action to guarantee food security and ensure families can afford the basics to keep them healthy.
Previous research from The Food Foundation shows that healthier foods cost more than twice as much per calorie as less healthy options.
Meanwhile, among the poorest fifth of the population, households with children would need to spend 70% of their disposable income on food to meet the cost of the government-recommended healthy diet.
Now new data published by The Food Foundation and supplied by YouGov, shows that even more UK households cannot afford healthy food.
Key Survey Findings
One in nine UK families are now struggling with food bills, affecting at least 8.5 million adults and children.
Food insecurity has begun to rise again during the last six months, despite having decreased slowly after peaking during the height of the cost of living crisis in 2022.
Some 12% of UK households experienced food insecurity in January 2026, which includes 6.3 million adults, up from 11% in June 2025.
Similarly, 15% of households with children experienced food insecurity in January 2026, which amounts to 2.2 million children in the UK.
Calls Grow For ‘Good Food Bill’
“What we are seeing today is not a one-off crisis – it is a warning,” stressed Anna Taylor, Executive Director of The Food Foundation.
“From energy markets in the Middle East to global fertiliser and shipping routes, our food supply is now tightly bound to geopolitical events we cannot control.
“We should act now, before the next shock hits. Because every time we delay, the cost grows – for families, for farmers, and for the country as a whole.”
Since 2015, the organisation said domestic fruit and vegetable production has fallen by 16%, deepening the UK’s import dependency.
Currently, 65% of fruits and vegetables and 40% of all food are imported into the UK, making the nation vulnerable to global conflicts, and changing weather patterns.
Plus, at least half of the UK’s imported fruit and vegetables currently come from countries already facing extreme water scarcity.
By comparison, countries with stronger domestic production, like Spain and Italy, experienced lower food price increases during the recent cost of living crisis, according to the ONS.
The Food Foundation believes a Food Bill could reshape the UK’s food system over the long term to ensure that affordable, healthy, and sustainable food is widely accessible, while securing a domestic supply of nutritious food that is resilient to shocks.
The 'Good Food Bill' recently gained the backing of over 100 organisations, including retailers, manufacturers, investors, farming bodies, NGOs, and academics.
This week, leading food businesses and NGOs joined Dame Angela Eagle, the Minister for Food Security and Rural Affairs, as well as cross party MPs and Peers in the House of Commons for the launch of The Good Food Bill: Fixing Food for Good campaign.
Read the latest Food Insecurity Tracking Survey here.
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