The UK government has encouraged the public to purchase additional long-life food products to prepare for potential interruptions to the food supply chain. This advice was issued earlier this month.
Environment Secretary Dame Angela Eagle told The Guardian that the natural climate phenomenon El Niño is expected to cause "more extreme storms in this country." Climate change, cyber-attacks, disease outbreaks, and conflicts are all factors that could strain the food supply process.
Professor Richard Wilding, an expert in supply chain strategy, advised against excessive worry, noting that global shipping professionals are continuously adapting. However, he suggested being prepared to buy different products if shortages occur, as items previously abundant in supermarkets could become scarce.
Dr. Sammie Gill, a senior nutrition scientist from the British Nutrition Foundation, recommends prioritising complex carbohydrates such as wheat biscuits, oats, rice, and pasta, along with proteins like canned chickpeas, lentils, unsalted nuts, peanut butter, and canned oily fish. Consultant dietitian Rebecca McManamon also listed tinned fruit and pickled foods as essentials. Both experts suggest keeping long-life milk available.
When selecting tinned items, Dr. Gill advises checking salt and sugar content. She recommends avoiding items tinned in brine or syrups, instant noodles, tinned soup, and breakfast cereals or snack bars with added sugars. Tinned fish is preferred over processed tinned meats. Ms. McManamon also suggests stocking dried herbs, spices, and salt to enhance the flavour of tinned food.