Jenny’s Pasta aims to tackle food insecurity

People living with Severe Mental Illness (SMI) have created a nutritious ready meal as part of a year-long research study to tackle food insecurity and improve access to quality food in Middlesbrough.

Jenny’s Pasta has been developed and made available in social supermarkets across Middlesbrough, after a previous research study revealed that over 50% of a sample of people with SMI in the north of England live with food insecurity*. This is considerably higher than the national average of 18%.

Also known as food poverty, food insecurity is the lack of reliable access to enough food to meet dietary, nutritional and social needs.

Fuse researchers and clinicians from Tees, Esk and Wear Valleys NHS Foundation Trust, Teesside University, and community organisation Middlesbrough Environment City, worked with people living with SMI to develop a range of nutritious recipes that can be transformed into affordable ready meals using surplus ingredients, and made available in social supermarkets across Middlesbrough.

The research project has been funded by a Programme Development Grant from the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR).

Thirty cartons of Jenny’s Pasta, a lentil bolognese, were produced, and researchers hope this will lead to further funding to produce more meals using surplus food, helping vulnerable groups access different types of food.

Fuse Associate Jo Smith, consultant dietitian (clinical academic) for Tees, Esk and Wear Valleys NHS Foundation Trust and Teesside University, said: “When we completed our first research project investigating the prevalence of food insecurity in the North of England, the most popular solutions were education on healthy eating, cookery skills and budgeting. This was followed by increased access to affordable food, food parcels, food vouchers and delivered meals.

“Millions of tonnes of high-quality fruit and vegetables go to waste every year from supermarkets and the food system.

“Despite a large amount being made available through social supermarkets, such as the eco shops in Middlesbrough, there is still a lot unutilised as unfortunately a lot of people don’t have the knowledge and/or equipment to prepare them or use them in meals.

“This study has helped us build on our initial research into food insecurity in the North of England and pilot a solution to helping people with SMI in Middlesbrough get better access to healthy, affordable food.”

The researchers also plan to gather feedback from those eating the pasta dish, including how much they like it and what they think of the appearance, taste and texture.

Professor Emma Giles, Professor of Integrating Physical and Mental Health at Teesside University and co-lead of the Behaviour Change Research Cluster in Fuse, the Centre for Translational Research in Public Health, said: “The recipe for Jenny’s Pasta was created and cooked by people living with SMI.

“It was an amazing opportunity for both them and us to learn more about nutrition and cooking, and we plan to analyse how it has changed diet, way of eating and food insecurity.”

Dr Jibin He, Head of Department (Science) at Teesside University, said: “Teesside University’s state-of-the-art food science facility and excellent food science academics and student volunteers ensured the meals were produced at the highest standard for the community.

“In this project, we used the skills we teach in our undergraduate and postgraduate classes, from food product development to food production planning to food safety management, enriched by AI and overseen by food professionals with industrial experiences.

“I am very glad that we could contribute to a project like this which will greatly benefit the community.”

Building on previous research 

An earlier study on food insecurity in adults with Severe Mental Illness lasted 18 months and recruited over 130 people from the North West, North East, North Cumbria and Yorkshire and the Humber. It included a survey and interviews led by people with lived experience of Severe Mental Illness.

The aim was to learn more about their experience of food insecurity and find out how people living with SMI can be supported to access healthy, affordable food.

The results showed the prevalence of food insecurity in the North of England, with 50.4% of the sample revealing they had experienced it. This is considerably higher than the national average of 18%.

The findings also showed that food insecurity for people with SMI is often a long-rooted experience, including instances where it has been within families for generations.

The research was hosted by Tees, Esk and Wear Valleys NHS Foundation Trust in collaboration with Teesside University and Newcastle University, Equally Well UK (a collaborative hosted by the Centre for Mental Health) and Fuse, the Centre for Translational Research in Public Health.

It was funded by the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR), as part of their NIHR Research for Patient Benefit – Mental Health in the North programme.

Find out more

• News: Research into food insecurity and severe mental illness
• Policy brief: Food insecurity in adults living with Severe Mental Illness
• Blog posts:
  • What came first, food insecurity or severe mental illness?
  • Supporting people with Severe Mental Illness who face food insecurity to access a nourishing meal

Last modified: Fri, 26 Jul 2024 11:21:50 BST