El Niño Prompts Changes in Shopping Habits
The UK government is advising citizens to prepare for potential disruptions in the food supply chain by adding non-perishable items to their grocery lists. This change in guidance was influenced by the anticipated effects of the El Niño weather pattern, which Environment Secretary Dame Angela Eagle has warned could result in intensified storms across the country.
Alongside climate change, factors such as cyber-attacks, health crises, and geopolitical conflicts are increasingly pressuring the systems that ensure food reaches consumers. Supply chain strategy expert Prof Richard Wilding advises caution without panic. He reassures that global shipping continues to adapt, though consumers might need to opt for alternative products when certain items become scarce.
Essential Pantry Items for Preparedness
Dr Sammie Gill, a senior nutrition scientist at the British Nutrition Foundation, suggests stocking up on specific food categories, identifying them as staples:
- Complex carbohydrates including wholegrain products like wheat biscuits, cereals, crackers, breads, along with oats, rice, and pasta.
- Proteins such as canned legumes like chickpeas, lentils, kidney beans, as well as unsalted nuts, peanut butter, and canned oily fish such as tuna, mackerel, and sardines.
Consultant dietitian Rebecca McManamon further recommends having tinned fruit for its juice, pickled foods like vegetables and eggs, and long-life milk from non-refrigerated sections to maintain levels of protein, calcium, and hydration.
Items to Avoid in Your Store Cupboard
When selecting long-lasting food items, Dr Gill advises paying attention to the content of salt and sugar:
- Opt for cans packed in water rather than brine or syrups.
- Avoid instant noodles and tinned soup due to high salt levels.
- Select breakfast cereals and snack bars without added sugars.
- Choose tinned fish over processed meats like sausages or hot dogs, as these are often high in saturated fat and salt.
- Limit sweet treats such as biscuits or chocolate due to their sugar content.
To enhance the flavour of basic staples, McManamon suggests adding nuts as a sweet snack, though they may perish sooner. Additionally, keeping an assortment of dried herbs and spices can counter the blandness of tinned foods.
Fluid and Nutrition Considerations
Staying hydrated is crucial, with McManamon recommending a daily intake of around 1,500 to 2,500 millilitres of fluids. Bottled water is an obvious source, but fluid-rich canned goods can also contribute when water supplies are limited.
Addressing concerns about canned food’s nutritional value compared to fresh produce, Dr Gill confirms that canned and fresh foods are largely similar in terms of macronutrients and some vitamins and minerals. Though the canning process may reduce certain vitamins like B and C, canned foods still serve as a valuable part of a nutritious diet.
Reporting based on coverage first published by bbc.co.uk.