From the archive: ‘We need to break the junk food cycle’: how to fix Britain’s failing food system

The Audio Long Read

The Guardian

Society & Culture

4.3 • 2.4K Ratings

🗓️ 3 September 2025

⏱️ 38 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

We are raiding the Guardian long read archives to bring you some classic pieces from years past, with new introductions from the authors. This week, from 2021: From ultra-processed junk to failing supply chains and rocketing food poverty, there are serious problems with the way the UK eats. Will the government ever act? By Bee Wilson. Read by Elinor Coleman. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod

Transcript

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0:00.0	This is The Guardian.
0:09.9	Hosting the next girls' night in, run out a time to cook.
0:13.8	Okado delivers life straight to you with antipasti sharing platters,
0:18.5	ready to go falafels, and moorish M&S picky bits.
0:22.4	So you can get on with the important part of the evening.
0:25.4	Who's got the goss?
0:27.3	Choose from both independent and household brands and enjoy every moment this season.
0:32.8	Discover more at theguardian.com forward slash life delivered.
0:36.5	Restrictions and charges apply terms at akado.com. This life delivered. Restrictions and charges apply.
0:37.9	Terms at Accardo.com.
0:39.3	This message was paid for by Akado.
0:42.5	Bonjour, this is Julia Bradbury, and I've just been uncovering Normandy's hidden gems
0:46.8	with Brittany Ferries.
0:48.4	After one bite of the fresh French-themed cuisine on board, my holiday had started.
0:53.4	On land, there were retro sidecar tours,
0:55.7	barefoot hikes across shifting quicksands, and even a visit to a bee farm. So with adventures
1:01.3	like these waiting, why settle for any old holiday? Uncover the Uncommon with Brittany Ferries.
1:07.3	And discover more at Guardian.com forward slash uncommon holidays.
1:13.0	This message was paid for by Brittany Ferries.
1:21.5	The Guardian Archive Longread. Hi. Hi, I'm B Wilson. I'm a food writer and I wrote a long read piece back in 2022 called
1:38.7	We Need to Break the Junk Food Cycle, How to Fix Britain's Failing food system. So I came at this topic from a few
1:48.3	different angles. One was that I came across this, to me, absolutely eye-opening academic paper
	...

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