Reflect on the need for sustainability in the retail food and food Essay

Reflect on the need for sustainability in the retail food and food service industries - Essay Example Since this is a very critical area lot of interest is vested in this sector both because of the high financial returns that are associated with it as well as the fact that it touches on the general welfare of the health of the society (Coles, 2011). In the twenty-first century there is a high prevalence of lifestyle related diseases which are as a result of inappropriate living habits and especially the kind of foods that people consume (Great Britain, 2011). Research carried out by the University of Nottingham recently indicated that 33% of the population of United Kingdom is obese. Obesity is not a hereditary condition that is passed on in the genes rather it is a condition that arises due to the kind of lifestyles that people lead especially the kind of foods they consume as well as their social life which includes physical activities and the like. Health organizations has over time tried to bring together proprietors in the food industry to come up with a common objective of ensuring sustainability in the industry rather than being profit oriented thus foregoing the health of the entire society (Coles, 2011). It is prudent to note that some unscrupulous business firms will produce foodstuffs that are ideally not fit for healthy human consumption but will go ahead to do so just because they will leap some good revenue out of the process but not bearing in mind the health impact their actions will cause to the consumers of the products. However, advanced societies like the United Kingdom have stipulated tough rules and regulations that govern and monitor business firms that operate in the food industry to ensure the dietary content of their products is within the stipulated health standards and has no health impacts to the end users whatsoever. This has ensured despite the sensitivity of the food sector in business discipline and high level integrity is maintained