October 2014
Featured in this insight: Consumer goods & FMCG , Financial services, Food & drink, Retail
Wider price gap developing between healthy and unhealthy foods: Although healthy foods have always been more expensive than unhealthy foods, researchers have found that the price gap between healthy and unhealthy foods has risen to 28.6%, between 2002 and 2012, from a difference of £3.88 in 2002 to £4.99 in 2012.
Existing government figures were analysed, which contained the national food prices of over 90 foods and drinks. Despite both healthy and unhealthy foods rising in average cost, it has been found that the increment is greater for healthy items.
This worrying finding means that it is likely that the growing expense of healthy food will make people more inclined to turn to unhealthy alternatives to save money. In turn, this could create inequalities in the health of different social classes.
In 2002, 1000 calories of healthy products would cost an average of £5.65 whereas the same amount of calories in unhealthy food would cost an average of £1.77. A decade later in 2012, the cost of 1000 calories in healthy food would cost £7.49 and unhealthy items £2.50.
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