The government should require that food bought for the public sector is high-quality, high-welfare British produce, campaigners have said.

Sustain, the alliance for food and farming, is urging ministers to use the forthcoming food strategy white paper to create a new Food Bill which would allow the government to change the law on what food is bought for the public sector.

Every year, £2.4bn is spent on food for schools, hospitals, the armed forces and other public institutions. However, current government buying standards for food are considered by many campaign groups and businesses to be too easily sidestepped and poorly enforced.

Sustain is calling for new buying standards to remove a loophole that currently allows caterers to circumvent them on the grounds of ‘significant cost’.

It wants to see a requirement that all meat and dairy must meet British standards as a minimum and that meals reflect a healthy and sustainable diet. 

At least 30% of meat and dairy should be from higher-welfare and more wildlife-friendly sources like free-range, RSPCA Assured and organic, according to Sustain, and this proportion should increase over time. 

It is calling too for meals to contain at least two portions of vegetables and/or pulses, which should be British and seasonal where possible.

An independent body such as the Food Standards Agency should check compliance with standards, Sustain suggests, and catering companies should report publicly on compliance. 

It also wants to see a mechanism for ensuring public sector contracts are set up in a way that makes them accessible to smaller farmers, producers and suppliers.

“This should be a win-win for the government,” said Ruth Westcott, campaign coordinator at Sustain. “Instead of wasting millions of pounds on bad food they could be using their massive buying power to support the British farmers working hard to meet high standards, spending more taxpayer money in rural communities and providing millions of people with healthier food. By buying better, local produce it could also be kinder to the planet and help tackle climate change. We need to see a proposal to change the law in the new year.”