Robert F. Kennedy Jr. wants to shake up public procurement in order to force US hospitals to align with new dietary guidelines, reducing sugar content and ultra-processed foods to combat health issues.
The UK does not currently take the same direct, interventionist approach to hospital food as RFK Jr. While there is growing concern about the role of ultra-processed and sugary foods in driving poor health outcomes, UK policy remains largely based on guidance, standards, and indirect regulation rather than strict mandates on what hospitals can and cannot provide.
In England, NHS organisations are expected to follow food and drink standards set out by bodies such as NHS England and the Department of Health and Social Care. These standards focus on improving nutritional quality: reducing sugar, salt, and saturated fat, and encouraging healthier options.
However, they do not ban categories such as ultra-processed foods, nor do they eliminate items like confectionery or sugary drinks entirely. Most hospitals contain cafés, vending machines, and retail outlets selling products that would be considered unhealthy.
More broadly, the UK’s dietary policy, reflected in tools like the Eatwell Guide, emphasises balance and moderation rather than strict exclusion. Unlike some emerging international debates, “ultra-processed food” is not yet a central organising concept in UK public health policy. Instead, the Government has focused on population-wide measures such as the Soft Drinks Industry Levy, restrictions on advertising high fat, salt and sugar (HFSS) foods, and voluntary reformulation programmes aimed at reducing sugar and calorie content across the food supply.
Supporters of the UK approach argue that it is more practical and respects consumer choice, while still nudging behaviour in a healthier direction. Critics, however, contend that it lacks urgency and fails to make public institutions, especially hospitals, leaders in promoting healthy diets. They argue that settings dedicated to healthcare should set a stronger example.
Overall, while the UK recognises the health risks associated with poor diets, it has so far stopped short of imposing the kind of direct, enforceable restrictions on hospital food that are now being debated in parts of the United States.
