National Diet and Nutrition Survey. Results from Years 7 and 8 (combined) of the Rolling Programme (2014/2015 - 2015/2016)

The National Diet and Nutrition Survey Rolling Programme (NDNS RP) is a continuous programme of fieldwork designed to assess the diet, nutrient intake and nutritional status of the general population aged 1.5 years and over living in private households in the UK. The core NDNS RP is jointly funded by Public Health England (PHE) and the UK Food Standards Agency (FSA). The NDNS RP is carried out by a consortium comprising NatCen Social Research (NatCen) and the Medical Research Council Elsie Widdowson Laboratory (MRC EWL) with fieldwork in Northern Ireland carried out by the Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency (NISRA).

The NDNS provides the only source of high quality, nationally representative UK data on the types and quantities of foods consumed by individuals, from which estimates of nutrient intake for the population are derived. Results are used by Government to develop policy and monitor progress toward diet and nutrition objectives of UK Health Departments, for example work to tackle obesity and monitor progress towards a healthy, balanced diet as visually depicted in the Eatwell Guide. The NDNS provides an important source of evidence underpinning the Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition’s (SACN) work relating to national nutrition policy. The food consumption data are also used by the FSA to assess exposure to chemicals in food, as part of the risk assessment and communication process in response to a food emergency or to inform negotiations on setting regulatory limits for contaminants.