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Called Balanced Bites, and developed by Dr Ifeyinwa Kanu, who is a leading food systems thinker and innovator and chief executive of IntelliDigest, it proposes using salary sacrifice as a way of driving beneficial change in the food system.

She believes it could benefit households, agrifood actors, public sector caterers, as well as the retail catering world. She is looking at securing funding to test the concept, but to do that needs to know that there is support for the approach, hence the appeal to the public sector to complete the survey.

Chair of the Public Sector Catering Alliance Jayne Jones said: “I'd encourage you to complete the survey while this work is still in its funding-seeking stages. If it takes off, it could really be transformational for all of us.”

Dr Kanu said: “The Balanced Bites-Food Security Fund Project is innovative in applying salary sacrifice to improve access to good food —an underused approach that makes sustainable, healthy diets more affordable.

“Unlike traditional food interventions, it combines employee benefits, structured meal planning, and coordinated public-private procurement to drive demand for local, regenerative produce.

“This creates a closed-loop system that shortens supply chains, reduces food waste and packaging, and supports soil health. Its originality lies in integrating circular economy principles, sustainable agriculture, and nutrition equity into a single, scalable model.

“By embedding systemic change into everyday food choices and procurement practices, the project links environmental goals with public health and economic fairness in a way that is both practical and transformative.”

She said the survey would be closed on September 30th and looked forward to public sector engagement with it. To complete the survey visit: https://forms.office.com/e/2QPVCPPt59