Market Data on Food and Drink Products - Engagement

Unfortunately, we couldn't upload a word doc with all the information on so it is inputted into the description below and engagement info section. If you'd like a copy then please contact Georgina.smyth@dhsc.gov.uk

The purpose of this market engagement exercise is to secure details for the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) on the availability and cost of commercially available market data on food and drink products sold by retailers, manufacturers and the out of home sector. The exercise also asks for costs of data analysis.

This information is being sought to inform an expected future tender exercise for the future supply of this data to the Department.

Responses should cover which parts of the requirements you can provide. You do not need to be able to cover every part in order to provide a response. For example, your response would be valid and acceptable if you are only able to provide nutrition data for the out of home sector.

1. Sectors and outlets

The Department is looking for a contractor or contractors that can supply data on the sales and nutrient content of food and drink purchases made from:

shops – including main supermarkets, smaller food shops e.g. Spar, Premier Stores, non-traditional food retailers e.g. Primark, farmers and other indoor or outdoor markets, cash and carry, wholesalers etc as well as online purchasing. This should include both manufacturer branded and supermarket own-brand products.

eating out of home businesses – including principally high street chain restaurants, bakeries, sandwich shops, cafes, fast food outlets, pubs, takeaways etc. This should include both manufacturer branded or other ready made products bought in and food and drink products made on site. This should include purchases made online via apps, websites etc.

Brief details should be provided on the methodology and processes used to collect the data including the frequency of data collection and the likely age of the data that will be provided e.g. no older than 4 months old, 12 months, 3 years etc.

Businesses are asked to provide information on standard data that is collected routinely e.g. sales and nutrition data for all supermarkets; and on additional data that can be provided but would require specific collection e.g. nutrition information for the out of home sector. Where specific data collection is needed, please provide brief details of the process used.

Businesses should also provide details of the proportion of each market that is covered by its data e.g. 95% of the retail market, 92% of food manufacturers, 60% of the out of home market. If this differs between sales and nutrition data, please give these proportions separately. Please also provide details of which parts of the market you are not able to provide data on and why.

Please provide a timeframe for producing the required data and how long before delivery of the data confirmation would need to be given of the data purchase e.g. 6 months between confirmation and delivery of the dataset.

Please provide any additional information that you think would be helpful at this stage.

2. Products to be included

Retailers and manufacturers – all food and drink products sold in store, both pre-packed and loose including in store bakery items, fruit and vegetables, meat and fish from instore counters. The data should also capture sandwiches and other “on the go” food and drink products, commercial baby food and drink, all infant and follow on formula, alcoholic and low/no alcohol drinks and diet and weight loss food and drink products. It should not include dietary supplements.

Eating out of home businesses – all food and drink products listed on the menu including children’s menus and dishes.

Please provide

• any relevant information on the products for which you routinely collect data and any that you do not.

• details of your product category structure and how products are assigned to categories

• information on whether you are able to categorise products to different category structures e.g. according to the main categories in the Eatwell Guide

Please provide any additional information that you think would be helpful at this stage.

3. Product data

Retailers and manufacturers

The data should be available for at least the last 3 years and should include the following as a basic dataset:

• Product name

• Product weight (e.g. 350g) or volume (500ml)

• Pack size (if appropriate e.g. 4 x 50g)

• Price

• Volume sales

• Value sales

• Nutrition information per 100g for nutrients given on pack, including vitamins and minerals where provided

o Energy (kcal/kJ)

o Fat (g)

 Of which saturates (g)

o Carbohydrate (g)

 Of which sugars (g)

o Fibre (g)

o Protein (g)

o Salt (g)

• Nutrition information per serving, where given, including the weight of the portion

• Whether the nutrition information is for the product as sold or as consumed. If the nutrition information is for the product as consumed, any information given within the nutrition panel on the dilution factor (e.g. 20ml squash, 200ml water) or cooking method (e.g. fried, baked) used should also be provided.

• Date the data was collected

• Basic relevant company information

• Any product categorisation used

Eating out of home businesses

The data should be available for at least the last 3 years and should include the following as a basic dataset:

• Product name

• Serving size as weight (e.g. 350g) or volume (500ml) where available

• Price

• Volume sales

• Value sales

• Nutrition information per serving and per 100g for nutrients for which data is available, which is likely to be

o Energy (kcal/kJ)

o Fat (g)

 Of which saturates (g)

o Carbohydrate (g)

 Of which sugars (g)

o Fibre (g)

o Protein (g)

o Salt (g)

• Date the data was collected

• Basic relevant company information

• Any product categorisation used

Please state if it is possible to provide the following information for retailers and manufacturers and/or eating out of home businesses:

• Ingredients given on product packaging or menus

• Any diet or nutrition claims included on product packaging or menus

• Overall Nutrient Profile Model score for each product for which nutrition information is provided, based on the 2018 model (published 2026), and the separate scores for free sugars and the fruit, vegetable and nut component

• Classification of products as (ultra) processed foods against the NOVA classification system

Please also provide brief details in the following areas if not already done so:

• Methodology used to collect and QA the nutrition and other related data, how data gaps are filled

• Feasibility of providing a fully comprehensive data dictionary for the datasets for both retailers and manufacturers, and the out of home sector. This should explain how recalculated columns are calculated – including details of which columns are used as well as providing column descriptions.

• Frequency of data collection

• Information on the reliability and weaknesses, and quality, of the nutrition and related data

Please provide any additional information that you think would be helpful at this stage.