Food & drink
See also: Defra work and policy for Departmental report and publications on policy and strategy.
- Food - general
- Food - diet and nutrition
- Food quality and safety
Food - general
Family food - report on the expenditure and food survey
NB All editions of this annual publication are available on this site.
Family food is the source of detailed statistical information on purchased
quantities, expenditure and nutrient intakes derived from both household and
eating out food and drink. Data is collected for a sample of households in the
United Kingdom using self-reported diaries of all purchases, including food
eaten out, over a two week period. Where possible quantities are recorded in the
diaries but otherwise estimated. Energy and nutrient intakes are calculated
using standard profiles for each of some 500 types of food. Current estimates are based on data collected in the Expenditure
and Food Survey. Estimates from 1940 to 2000 are based on data
from the National Food Survey.
TSO, 2006 A4 xii,114pp, tables, figures
ISBN 0112430929 £29.00
Also available:
Family food in 2003/04
ISBN 0112430872 £28.00
Family food in 2002/03
ISBN 0112430848 £27.00
Family food in 2001/02 - (NB only available online)
National Food Survey 2000: annual report on food expenditure, consumption and nutrient intakes (available on this site) NB last edition under this title
The National Food Survey is a continuous sampling enquiry into the domestic
food consumption, expenditure and nutrition of private households in Great
Britain. By obtaining information simultaneously about the quantities
and cost of food purchased by a random selection of households, the survey
enables comparisons to be made of dietary and food expenditure patterns,
and of the average prices actually paid for food, not only in Great Britain
as a whole but also by different household types.
TSO, 2001 A4 xx,214pp. Tables, figures
ISBN 0112430635 £28.00
Also available:
National Food Survey 1999
ISBN 0112430597 £28.00
National Food Survey 1998
ISBN 011243052X £28.00
National Food Survey 1997
ISBN 0112430449 £28.00
National Food Survey 1996
ISBN 0112430317 £27.00
National Food Survey 1995
ISBN 0112430147 £26.00
National Food Survey 1994
ISBN 0112430007 £26.00
Protecting food names: guidance on EC regulations
This booklet, designed for producers of traditional and regional food
and drink, describes how European legislation can help maintain the specific
identify of such products.
MAFF, 1999 A5 9pp
PB4635 Free
Report of the Committee on the Ethics of Genetic
Modification and Food Use
Chaired by the Rev Dr J C Polkinghorne
Genetic modification involves the transfer of genetic material between
different organisms by artificial means. It is being increasingly used
in the fields of health and agriculture. This report contains the results
of a study of the ethical concerns that may arise when consumers are faced
with genetically modified foods.
HMSO, 1993 43pp
ISBN 0112429548 £7.95
Report of the Committee to Consider the Ethical Implications
of Emerging Technologies in the Breeding of Farm Animals
Chaired by the Rev Prof M Banner
This report was produced to provide a framework for the ethics of genetic
modification and the basis for future regulation.
HMSO, 1995 77pp
ISBN 0112429653 £13.00
Success with a small food business: a guide to starting, developing and expanding your business
This useful booklet, replacing three separate publications, offers those
thinking of setting up, or who have already set up, a small business selling
or making food, practical guidance on the do's and don'ts of how to succeed
in this growing industry.
MAFF, 1998 A4 35pp, illus
PB3452 Free
Diet and nutrition
The composition of foods and supplements
NB This publication and its supplements are now published by the Food Standards Agency. Further information is available on the FSA website at: www.food.gov.uk/science/101717/dietsurvey
Note: The composition of foods, up to the fifth edition, and all supplements and associated publications published jointly by MAFF/RSC, are available by ordering either from bookshops, or direct from the Royal Society of Chemistry, Turpin Distribution Services Ltd, Letchworth, Herts, SG6 1HN. Tel. 01462 672555.
N.B. Sole distributors of The composition of foods and the First supplement to 4th ed outside the UK and Eire : Associated Scientific Publishers, PO Box 211, 1000 AE Amsterdam, Netherlands.
The composition of foods (also known as "McCance and Widdowson's Composition
of foods")
B. Holland and others
5th edition
This fifth edition, revised and greatly expanded, gives detailed nutritional
information for almost 1200 foods.
MAFF/Royal Society of Chemistry, 1991 xiii, 462pp
ISBN 0851863914 £35.00
Seven supplements to the 5th edition have been published:
1. Fruit and nuts (First supplement to 5th ed)
B. Holland, I.D. Unwin and D.H. Buss
MAFF/RSC, 1992 vii, 136pp
ISBN 0851863868 £24.50
2. Vegetable dishes (Second supplement to 5th ed)
B. Holland, A.A. Welch and D.H. Buss
MAFF/RSC, 1992 viii, 242pp
ISBN 0851863965 £24.50
3. Fish and fish products (Third supplement to 5th
ed)
B. Holland, J. Brown and D.H. Buss
MAFF/RSC, 1993 v, 135pp
ISBN 085186421X Out of print
4. Miscellaneous foods (Fourth supplement to 5th
ed)
W. Chan, J. Brown and D.H. Buss
MAFF/RSC, 1994 vii, 193pp
ISBN 0851863604 Out of print
5. Meat, poultry and game (Fifth supplement to 5th
ed)
W. Chan, J. Brown, S.M. Lee and D.H. Buss
MAFF/RSC, 1995 vii, 161pp
ISBN 0851863809 £25.95
6. Meat products and dishes (Sixth supplement to
5th ed)
W. Chan, J. Brown, S.M. Church and D.H. Buss
MAFF/RSC, 1996 vii, 162pp
ISBN 085404809X £25.95
7. Fatty acids (Seventh supplement to 5th ed)
W. Chan et al
MAFF/RSC, 1998 vii, 209pp
ISBN 08540481197 £32.50
Five supplements to the 4th edition are also available:
1. Amino acid and fatty acid composition (First
supplement to 4th ed)
HMSO, 1980
ISBN 011450038X Out of print
2. Immigrant foods (Second supplement to 4th ed)
HMSO, 1985
ISBN 0112427170 Out of print
3. Cereals and cereal products (Third supplement
to 4th ed)
MAFF/RSC , 1988
ISBN 085186743X £20.50
4. Milk products and eggs (Fourth supplement to
4th ed)
MAFF/RSC, 1989
ISBN 0851863663 Out of print
5. Vegetables, herbs and spices (Fifth supplement
to 4th ed)
MAFF/RSC, 1991
ISBN 0851863760 £24.50
Food labelling data for manufacturers: based on McCance and Widdowson's Composition of foods
Gives information on the nutrients of most importance for food labelling
in nearly 1200 foods. All the values are taken from the 5th edition of
The composition of foods, but have been recalculated in the form
required by the 1990 EC directive on nutrition labelling for foodstuffs.
Should be of value not only to manufacturers but also to professionals
in other disciplines who have an interest in food labelling, including
dietitians and trading standards officers.
MAFF/RSC, 1992 214pp
ISBN 0851869939 Out of print
Food number index: companion to 'The composition
of foods' and its supplements
MAFF/RSC, 1992 37pp
ISBN 0851864309 Out of print
Dietary and nutritional survey of British adults:
a survey of the dietary behaviour, nutritional status and blood pressure
of adults aged 16 to 64 living in Great Britain
J. Gregory, K. Foster, H. Tyler, M. Wiseman
Commissioned jointly by MAFF and the Department of Health, this survey
was carried out in 1986/87 by the Social Survey Division of the Office
of Population, Censuses and Surveys, with dietary and nutritional evaluations
by MAFF and the DOH. Nearly 2,200 people, representative of the whole
population between 16 and 64 years (but excluding pregnant women), kept
a detailed weighed record of all the food and drink they consumed for
seven consecutive days.
HMSO, 1990 A4 xv, 392pp Mainly tables
ISBN 0116913002 £40.00
Dietary and nutritional survey of British adults:
further analysis
A. Mills and others
Following the original report (see above), which only presents initial
findings of the survey, MAFF undertook further analyses of the dietary
data in response to internal enquiries and following suggestions made
by the Working Party on Dietary Surveys of the Steering Group on Chemical
Aspects of Food Surveillance. This report presents these further analyses
in a tabular and graphical form. There is limited commentary and interpretation
of the data.
HMSO, 1994 A4 ix, 164pp Mainly tables and graphs
ISBN 0112429661 £25.00
Food and nutrient intakes of British infants aged 6-12 months
This report complements other national dietary surveys undertaken by
the Government, including The diets of British schoolchildren (HMSO,
1989) and The dietary and nutritional survey of British adults
(HMSO, 1990; see above).
HMSO, 1992 143pp
ISBN 0112429068 £12.50
Food portion sizes
Compiled by A. Mills and S. Patel
2nd edition
Provides dietitians, nutritionists and others with a handy reference
to the weights of both individual items (e.g. chocolate bars) and average
portion sizes of a large number of foods. N.B. Responsibility for the
contents of this book now belongs to the Food Standards Agency.
HMSO, 1994 A5 xii, 102pp Chiefly tables
ISBN 0112429610 £6.50
Home preservation of fruit and vegetables
This edition, prepared by the Agricultural and Food Research Council
(AFRC), takes account of changing lifestyles, including an increase in
the number of working women with families and a shift towards more experimentation
with food. It covers bottling, salting, freezing and pickling.
HMSO, 1989 216pp illus
ISBN 0112428649 £4.95
Manual of nutrition
10th edition
Contains information on all the important nutrients, their roles in the
body, the foods that provide them and the effects of cooking and processing
on them. Includes sections on digestion, the Dietary Reference Values,
diet planning and the special nutritional needs of different sectors of
the population. Appendices include a useful table of values for the typical
nutrient content of a wide range of common foods, calculations of the
nutritional value of foods, dietary guidelines and information on UK legislation
affecting food additives and food labelling. (Previously published as
MAFF Reference Book 342.)
HMSO, 1995 166pp tables
ISBN 0112429912 £7.99
Food quality and safety
N.B. Publications on food safety, including the Foodsense series, previously available from MAFF Publications are now the responsibility of the Food Standards Agency, and are available from:
Food Standards Agency
PO Box 369
Hayes
Middlesex
UB3 1UT
Tel No: 0845 606 0667
Fax No: 020 8867 3225
Minicom: 0845 6060678
E-mail: foodstandards@eclogistics.co.uk
Pesticide residues in food
N.B. See also section on Pesticide safety and use
Working Party on Pesticide Residues
The former joint MAFF/PSD/HSE Working Party on Pesticide Residues (WPPR) reported to the Food Advisory Committee and to the Advisory Committee on Pesticides. Its first annual report (covering 1988-89) was issued in response to requests for information on pesticide residues to be made more readily available. The WPPR was replaced by the fully independent Pesticide Residues Committee (PRC) at the end of 2000.
WPPR reports covering 1996 - 1999 are available on the Pesticides Safety Directorate (PSD) website at http://www.pesticides.gov.uk/prc.asp?id=825
Annual report of the Working Party on Pesticide Residues 1999: supplement
to the Pesticides Monitor 2000
MAFF, 2000 A4 x,247pp
PB5181A Free
WPPR 1999 annual report: brand name annex
This annex sets out brand name details for the samples analysed as part
of the 1999 pesticide residues monitoring programme. The annex should
be read in conjunction with the main report (above), in particular section
3, which provides details on how the information in this annex should
be interpreted.
MAFF, 2000 A4 iii, 315pp
PB5181B Free
Also available:
Annual report of the Working Party on Pesticide Residues 1998
MAFF, PB4546A. Free
WPPR 1998 annual report: brand name annex
MAFF, PB4546B. Free
Annual report of the Working Party on Pesticide Residues 1997
MAFF, PB3904. Free
Annual report of the Working Party on Pesticide Residues 1996
MAFF, PB3244. Free
Annual report of the Working Party on Pesticide Residues 1995
HMSO. ISBN 0112430201 £27.00
Annual report of the Working Party on Pesticide Residues 1994
HMSO. ISBN 0112430031 £27.00
Pesticide Residues Committee
From the end of 2000 the WPPR became the independent Pesticide Residues Committee, whose reports are available on the Pesticides Safety Directorate (PSD) website at http://www.pesticides.gov.uk/approvals.asp?id=831
Code of practice prepared on behalf of the United Kingdom egg industry for those involved in the handling and storage of eggs from farm to retail sale
This voluntary Code of Practice, prepared after consultation with representatives
of the industry, provides practical, comprehensive guidance to all those
involved in the production, supply and distribution of shell eggs for
human consumption.
MAFF, 1996 A5 17pp
PB2818 Free
Planned production methods and efficient quality control procedures help
to reduce the natural variation in quality of the egg yolk, albumen and
shell. All those involved in production, grading and packing must be aware
of the defects which can occur in eggs, the likely causes and the means
of identifying and removing those which are unsuitable. This booklet will
be of interest to everyone involved in the production and marketing of
eggs for human consumption.
MAFF, 2000 A5 34pp illus
PB4821R Free
Food Surveillance Papers
These papers contain the results of an extensive food research and surveillance programme, which monitors the chemical safety and nutritional value of the national food supply. The programme is coordinated by the Steering Group on Chemical Aspects of Food Surveillance, a government advisory committee.
Papers available in this series (papers not listed are out of print):
No. 37 Dietary intake of food additives in the UK:
initial surveillance
HMSO. ISBN 0112429513 £7.75
No. 39 Aluminium in food
HMSO. ISBN 0112429629 £6.95
No. 40 The British diet: finding the facts 1989-1993
HMSO. ISBN 0112429696 £8.75
No. 43 Radionuclides in food
HMSO. ISBN 0112429750 £ 28.00
No. 44 Authenticity of fish in fish products
HMSO. ISBN 0112429777 £3.50
No. 46 Authenticity of soluble coffee
HMSO. ISBN 0112429955 £8.75
No. 47 Authenticity of dried durum wheat pasta
HMSO. ISBN 0112430066 £12.50
No. 48 Flavourings in food
HMSO. ISBN 0112430074 £15.00
No. 49 Steering Group on Chemical Aspects of Food
Surveillance: annual report 1995
HMSO, 1996 xii, 122pp
ISBN 0112430139 £14.00
No. 50 Surveillance and the estimation of dietary
exposure to pesticides: report of the Working Party on Pesticide Residues:
1991-93
HMSO, 1996 xvi, 64pp
ISBN 0112430155 £12.50
No. 51 Inherent natural toxicants in food
TSO, 1996 xi, 101pp
ISBN 0112430252 £14.99
No. 52 Lead, arsenic and other metals in food
TSO, 1998 xiii, 113pp
ISBN 0112430414 £15.95
No. 53 Cadmium, mercury and other metals in food
TSO, 1998 xiii, 140pp
ISBN 0112430422 £16.95
Review of the rules for sewage sludge application
to agricultural land: food safety and relevant animal health aspects of
potentially toxic elements.
Report of the Steering Group on Chemical Aspects of Food Surveillance
A scientific review of the implications for food safety and soil fertility
of the rules on sewage sludge application to agricultural land was jointly
commissioned by MAFF and the Department of the Environment. Its purpose
was to advise whether any changes were needed to the metal limits and
other requirements in the Sludge (Use in Agriculture) Regulations 1989
and the Code of Practice of Agricultural Use of Sewage Sludge (DOE) in
the light of recent research findings.
See also: Review of the rules for
sewage sludge ... : soil fertility aspects
MAFF, 1993 A4 75pp
PB1562 £2.50
Page last modified: 4 June 2007