Description of the contract
The project ‘How can we improve the nutritional composition of food and drink for children whilst driving down cost?’ is a new national competition launched by the Welsh Government to drive forward Wales’ innovation agenda. This competition is funded by the Welsh Government and Innovate UK. The Welsh Government are seeking to identify and support projects to develop innovative solutions which can significantly improve the nutritional composition of food and drink available to children whilst driving down cost. Organisations are invited to compete for a share of up to £1 million for the further development and commercialisation of new processes and products.
In Wales, nearly six in ten adults and three in ten children are overweight or obese. By the age of 11, 23% of Welsh children are obese and 40.5% are either obese or overweight. The percentage of overweight children in Wales is higher than in Northern Ireland, 39.9%, England, 35%, and Scotland, 33%. With obesity being one of the leading preventable cause of death in modern times, governments and public organisations have focused their effort on reducing the prevalence of the disease. However, the levels of obesity in the Welsh population are not reducing and it is still one of the biggest health issues in Wales.
Research shows that the vast majority of obese children grow up to become obese adults and obesity increases the risk of developing a range of serious diseases in adulthood including diabetes, heart disease and cancer. However, the effects of obesity can also be identified in obese children with conditions such as type 2 diabetes, musculoskeletal disorders, asthma and other respiratory problems. Obesity has a significant impact on the economy. In 2011, obesity alone was estimated to cost the NHS in Wales £73 million and between £1.40 million and £1.65 million spent each week treating diseases resulting from obesity. Obesity also has a wider impact on the economy through loss of productivity and certified incapacity.
Findings from the Welsh Health Survey (2015) revealed that a high number of children are still not meeting their daily dietary requirements and found that only half of the children interviewed eat vegetables every day. Schools can provide children with a third or more of their daily dietary requirements, however schools are increasingly under pressure to provide nutritious meals which families can afford. Evidence shows that the cost of school meals has an impact on children taking up school meals leading to children eating packed lunches which can often lack dietary fibre and contain high levels of salt, sugar and saturated fats. The high cost of nutritious food out of school also means that some families in Wales simply cannot afford to buy the nutritious food their children need to meet their daily dietary requirements. Children need access to healthy and nutritious food to prevent the onset of obesity and the development of the disease into adulthood.
The challenge is to develop innovative solutions which can significantly improve the nutritional composition of food and drink available to children whilst driving down cost.
NOTE: To register your interest in this notice and obtain any additional information please visit the Sell2Wales Web Site at https://www.sell2wales.gov.wales/Search/Search_mainpage.aspx
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