THE TUC backed calls for a statutory right to food today, and demanded provision of free school meals to all children at both primary and secondary schools.

Moving a composite motion demanding a national food strategy, the British Dietetic Association’s Annette Mansell-Green pointed to the role of corporate profiteering in driving price inflation for basic groceries.

“Food is transformed from a necessity to a commodity. Any detrimental health results [from rising malnutrition and poverty-related poor diets] are collateral damage in favour of corporate greed.”

A rights-based approach could transform that, ensuring universal access to healthy and nutritious food, she argued.

The national food strategy endorsed by TUC Congress calls for the appointment of a minister for food working across the health and agriculture departments, with a brief including optimisation of land use and reduction of diet-based inequality to help the poorest access decent food and protect the NHS.