A specialized nutrition expert has urged Britons to stock up on five types of essential foods following an official government warning described by observers as "serious," with many expressing concern that it carries the message that "things are going to get worse."
According to the British nutrition expert working at one of the leading institutions concerned with food security in the UK, residents should stock at least five basic food categories after government warnings about the potential consequences of the "El Niño" phenomenon.
The UK Met Office clarified that the term "El Niño" refers to "the rise in sea surface temperatures occurring every few years," where water temperatures in the eastern Pacific rise by more than half a degree Celsius "above the long-term average."
Data published earlier this month revealed that this natural climate phenomenon is expected to peak with a rise of 4 degrees Celsius in November, significantly exceeding the usual threshold of 0.5 degrees Celsius, making this wave likely to break records by the end of the year and the start of the next.
This El Niño phenomenon, expected to be the strongest in a thousand years, is anticipated to bring harsh weather conditions that could affect thousands of families across the country, hindering emergency services' ability to reach those in need.
A report published by the British newspaper "Daily Star" indicated that in light of this looming threat, nutrition experts and specialists recommended that people create a stockpile of five vital food groups to ensure an adequate supply in case of a disaster.
Dr. Sami Jill from the British Nutrition Foundation identified these foods as: canned fruits, preserved foods, protein-rich options like chickpeas and canned oily fish, as well as complex carbohydrates and long-life milk.
Alongside the recommendation of which items to store, Dr. Jill also advised against purchasing breakfast cereals and snack bars, as well as products high in sodium, like canned soups.
Dr. Jill's advice comes at a time when Environment Secretary Angela Eagle told the Guardian that the public should prepare for a "drier summer" and "wetter winter."
The Environment Secretary added: "If you have a stock of food sufficient for a while until emergency services can reach you, you will be in a much better position than those who do not have that. So, it's about a type of preparedness to enhance resilience and deal with emergency conditions."
In its guidelines, the government recommends providing at least three liters of drinking water per person per day, in line with World Health Organization recommendations. It also suggests storing non-perishable foods "that do not require cooking," and their advice on preparing an emergency bag is to "prepare it and gather its contents gradually over time."
The Food and Drink Federation in the UK agreed with the warnings issued by Angela Eagle regarding the impact of the El Niño phenomenon; the Federation warned that this year's warm weather has affected the supplies of fruits, vegetables, and grains, according to British network LBC.
In a statement from the Federation, Dr. Liliana Daniela remarked: "Food and drink manufacturers in the UK are making significant efforts to absorb additional costs as much as possible, but they are already facing increasing burdens due to the war in Ukraine and the situation in Iran."
She added: "Therefore, we expect the additional upward pressure from crop declines to reflect on retail prices over the next year."