UK vs US Food: Which Is Better?
Round 1: Quality of Ingredients
Ingredients in food we eat vary wildly depending on whether we are eating food from a package or food from a restaurant. As a result, we’ll be looking at the major food chains common in both countries and whether the quality of their ingredients differs wildly. In 2019, food activist Vani Hari, who also goes by “The Food Babe” online, showcased her research into the difference in ingredients found in packaged food items. This included Doritos, Mountain Dew, Quaker Oats, Heinz Tomato Ketchup, and more! She discovered that packaged food made and sold in the US contained vast amounts of artificial coloring and flavoring. For example, in the United Kingdom, Mountain Dew got its bright color from beta carotene (a natural color derived from certain orange / yellow foods). In the United States, it came from Yellow 5. Yellow 5 is a petroleum-based dye called Tartrazine. Most studies on artificial food colorings like Tartrazine have shown that children who consume large doses can be negatively affected. You may also remember when groups campaigned to have azodicarbonamide removed from bread in Subway, McDonalds, Wendy’s, and many other major American food chains. This was in part because this chemical can also be found in yoga mats! The campaigning by Hari to remove harmful ingredients from specific US packaged food has proven successful on multiple occasions, but there is still a lot of work to be done in the United States. The reason why the UK may fare better in this area is due to the fact that food regulations regarding artificial colorings and ingredients are generally much stricter. For example, in Europe alone, food companies must include warning labels if they use artificial dyes. This results in many opting not to use them as it may deter potential customers. This, and other deterrents, forces companies to manufacture products in a more health-conscious way, meaning the United Kingdom is the winner when it comes to the quality of ingredients in their foods. WINNER: United Kingdom
Round 2: Portion Sizes
Ok, it’s no secret that the United States is known for overfilling meals in what has become known as “supersized” portions. But, is that the case across the board? “Food Insider” did a deep dive into several of the nation’s shared fast-food chains, dissecting just how big each of their standard sizes are. In every single instance, the US had considerably larger portion sizes per meal - both in volume and weight. This isn’t just the case with fast food, as packaged foods are commonly sold in more significant gram amounts in the US. A standard Snickers bar, for example, is 52.7g in the United States and 48g in the UK. Sometimes there are even comically large editions available in the United States. This isn’t entirely a good thing, as the United States ranks significantly higher than the United Kingdom in the percentage of obese adults living in the country. Some might remember the 2004 documentary “Super Size Me,” in which director Morgan Spurlock lived exclusively on fast food, which spurred active discussions about the health risks of America’s fast food. However, we don’t measure for health; we measure for sizes. In almost every case, the United States. destroys the UK’s portion sizes. WINNER: United States
Round 3: Overall Prices
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Given that the UK and the US use two different currencies that can fluctuate in value, it can be hard to examine just how much difference there is in food price. However, if the earlier section of portion sizes is anything to go on, there is increased opportunity to be served more! But does that translate into how expensive the food actually is? According to “mylifeelsewhere.com,” the United Kingdom’s cost of living average when eating out was higher. Some even on average are 25% more expensive than the US when eating at an inexpensive restaurant! But, while it might be more expensive to eat out, what about buying your groceries and eating from home? According to “numbeo.com,” the cost of these individual items decreases exponentially if you’re shopping in the UK. A 500g loaf of fresh bread would cost $2.76 on average in the United States, but would cost only $1.31when exchanged for pounds in the UK. Overall, consumer prices are 3% lower and grocery prices are a staggering 20% lower. However, restaurant prices are 5% higher than in the United States. Given how much these percentages lean in the UK’s favor, the winner of this round is the United Kingdom! WINNER: United Kingdom
Round 4: Variety
The United States has one of the biggest economies in the world. It also has larger portion sizes! But does it have the most food chains and products available? This might be a bit unfair, as the United States is 40 times bigger than the United Kingdom. It makes complete sense then, that most of the world’s largest restaurant chains originated from the US: McDonalds, KFC, Burger King, Starbucks, Domino’s, Pizza Hut (just to name a few). There are many chains from the United States that haven’t made the crossover, however. The United Kingdom does have a few select brands originating in the nation, such as Wetherspoons, and Gregs. However, the United States vastly outweighs its competition in large brand availability and origins. This also extends to packaged food as well. There are many sweets and treats from the United States that would need to be exported to the United Kingdom rather than be made by a local factory. So, in the case of the variety of foods available to the average customer, the United States wins out. WINNER: United States
Round 5: Food Safety Standards
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To clarify, when we say “Food Safety Standards,” it doesn’t just refer to the type of ingredients a food might contain, but also the enforced practices a country will partake in to prevent the spread of foodborne illnesses. This means we will measure how sanitary food production is in the US and UK, and look at the processes involved in creating the food for purchase. This includes the management and care for animals. The United States clearly has a larger population to cater for. It also has farther to travel to get their farm produce. And while the food safety practices have been ranked closely on an international stage, there are still areas for concern. The United Kingdom has had a few food-related scares. A notable case includes the 2013 Horse Meat scandal, where foods advertised as beef in the EU contained horse meat. But, this is an outlier in the UK food industry, as locally produced food follows a lot of stringent cleanliness and tracing laws. All cattle are registered at birth, individually verified, and have their movement monitored throughout their entire life. In addition, “British Beef” requires their country of birth, rearing, and slaughter to be listed on packages. American farmers, on the other hand, have no such obligations. Animal cruelty laws are also much more advanced in the UK than in non-EU countries. As a result, many profit-based practices have been outright banned, including battery cages, sow stalls, and male pig castration. Animal feed also has stricter rules in the UK. To reduce the risk of transmitting brain disease in chicken, meat and bone meal isn’t allowed in poultry feed. In addition, some feeds that promote growth in Pork and Chicken aren’t authorized to be used on British farms. If we’re looking at crops, there is also a difference in pesticides used. Since 2016, the UK and EU have banned an insecticide called Chlorpyrifos due to its link to brain damage in children. It is legal to use in the US, however. The same goes for Neonicotinoids, which were banned in Europe due to concerns over their harm to bees. As recently as 2020, the UK banned fungicide chlorothalonil due to concerns about its effect on water quality and the environment. But, perhaps the most frequently discussed difference is the use of chlorine to wash chicken. The process is used to decontaminate the meat and kill any bacteria left on the skin before it’s sent off for packaging. While this is a common practice in the United States, a trade group called “The Soil Association” argues that chlorine washing simply gives the “impression” contaminants have been killed. The United Kingdom, by comparison, doesn’t allow this practice. They instead rely on rules that are designed to keep the meat as clean as possible through processing. It would certainly appear the United Kingdom is further ahead when it comes to the safety of its practices in creating food. WINNER: United Kingdom. UNITED STATES: 2 UNITED KINGDOM: 3 Overall the United Kingdom beats out the US with a narrow 3 to 2 victory.
