In a move that feels less like prepping for the apocalypse and more like a very British episode of Supermarket Sweep, the UK government has urged citizens to add a few more long-life products to their food baskets, just in case the food supply chain decides to take an unscheduled holiday. Environment Secretary Dame Angela Eagle told The Guardian that the powerful natural climate phenomenon El Niño would lead to "more extreme storms in this country." Because nothing says "welcome to the Anthropocene" like a tin of mackerel.
Climate change, cyber-attacks, disease outbreaks, and conflicts are all apparently lining up to put a strain on the process that eventually gets food into our shops and homes. It's like a dystopian relay race where the baton is a loaf of bread and the finish line is your empty cupboard.
Prof Richard Wilding, an expert in supply chain strategy, tells me not to be "overly worried" because global shipping professionals are adapting all the time. But he does advise being prepared to buy different products if needed. "Things that were in supermarkets and seen as relatively abundant may all of a sudden be in shortage," he adds. So, basically, don't panic, but maybe learn to love the taste of canned chickpeas.
So how easy is it to stock up and what are the things to avoid? Senior nutrition scientist Dr Sammie Gill, from the British Nutrition Foundation, says you should prioritise certain food groups. First up: complex carbohydrates such as wheat biscuits, wholegrain cereals, crackers, and breads, plus oats, rice, and pasta. Then proteins: canned chickpeas, lentils, kidney beans, unsalted nuts, peanut butter, and canned oily fish such as tuna, mackerel, and sardines. It's like a survival kit designed by a middle-aged dad who's really into pulses.
Rebecca McManamon, a consultant dietitian, lists the following essentials: tinned fruit, because you can drink its juice for added fluids, vitamins, and fibre, and pickled foods such as vegetables and eggs. Both experts also recommend keeping long-life milk found in the non-refrigerated aisle for protein, calcium, and as a source of fluid. Because nothing says "emergency" like warm milk from a carton.
Gill says look out for salt and sugar content when buying tinned items. Avoid items tinned in brine or syrups; water is the healthiest option. Avoid instant noodles and tinned soup due to high salt content. Avoid breakfast cereals and snack bars with added sugars and limited nutrients. Choose tinned fish over tinned meats such as sausages, hot dogs, or corned beef, as they are often processed and high in salt and saturated fat. Limit sweet treats such as biscuits and chocolates as they have a high sugar content. In other words, your emergency stash should look less like a teenager's sleepover and more like a sensible pensioner's pantry.
And what about making the essentials taste nice? McManamon says stock up on nuts as a sweet alternative, but be aware that they may have a shorter shelf life. She also recommends keeping dried herbs, spices, and salt available, as she says tinned food can be slightly bland. You should aim to take in about 1,500-2,500ml of fluid a day, whatever the weather, says McManamon. This can obviously come from bottled water, but also from what she describes as fluid-rich tinned foods if supplies are short. So, in a pinch, you can drink the juice from a tin of peaches and call it hydration.
For those worried about whether tinned food is as nutritious as fresh food, Dr Gill says it absolutely can be used as part of a healthy diet. "There is little difference nutritionally between canned and fresh food in terms of macronutrients, like carbohydrates, protein, fats, and fibre, as well as fat-soluble vitamins, like vitamin A and E, and minerals," she says. It may not be as good for other vitamins, such as B and C, because the canning process has been found to decrease vitamin levels, but Gill offers assurances that these foods can still be a "useful source" of vitamins. So go ahead, embrace the tin. Your taste buds might complain, but your survival instincts will thank you.