MRC Epidemiology Unit
Understanding population exposure to dark retail in the out-of-home and grocery markets in England: measuring socio-spatial distribution and exploring opportunities for policy intervention.
Plain English Summary
Eating food prepared outside the home, like from restaurants and takeaways, has been linked to weight gain. In the past, people used to buy this unhealthy food from shops on the high street. Nowadays, online food delivery services like Just Eat have become very popular. These platforms allow food retailers to work from hidden kitchens called “dark kitchens”, which customers don’t visit. These dark kitchens offer many benefits to retailers, but they may have negative effects on consumers’ health and widen inequalities around access to healthy food.
The problem is that dark kitchens can host multiple retailers in one place. This has potential to increase the amount and variety of unhealthy food available through online food delivery services. Retailers that use these facilities are not subject to the same planning regulations as conventional takeaways. For example, many local authorities have a policy of denying planning permission to new takeaway outlets near schools. Retailers using dark kitchens would not be subject to this policy raising concerns amongst some public health professionals, and questions about the possible need for new regulation.
Since this is a relatively new trend, there isn’t much information available about dark kitchens yet. The lack of data on where these dark kitchens are located across England makes it difficult for researchers to study their impact on people’s health and access to food. Without this data, it is challenging for policymakers to make informed decisions and evaluate the effects of dark kitchens on society.
Our research project aims to do the groundwork needed to study the impact of dark kitchens on public health and explore potential ways to address any issues that arise. The first part (WP1) involves finding the locations of dark kitchens and working out how different parts of the population are exposed. In a handful of areas we will develop and test different methods to identify where these dark kitchens are located. Once we have found the best method, we will use it to identify the locations of dark kitchens in all areas of England.
In the second part of our research (WP2), we will talk with policymakers at both local and national levels, to gather their thoughts and insights on dark kitchens and how they might affect public health. We will discuss the need for, scope and aims of possible policies to address them. We will discuss what would be the best role for researchers in an evaluation of any intervention.