FOI reference: FOI-2026-3436
You asked
I request the following information relating to the UK food sector, at greater granularity than published datasets where held.
Trade and supply chains:
1. Supply and Use Tables data for food sectors: domestic production, imports, exports, intermediate consumption, final consumption.
2. Input-Output tables showing inter-industry flows involving food sectors.
3. Any analysis of market concentration or competition within food sectors.
4. Any unpublished analyses, research papers, or methodological studies relating to food sector statistics.
5. Data from any ad-hoc surveys or experimental statistics relating to the food sector.
We said
Thank you for your request.
We use the UK Standard Industry Classification(2007) to produce economic statistics. Although this classification system does not include a specific industry group for the food sector, activities of this sector can be found in the following industry groups:
Agricultural products in groups SIC_A01 to SIC_A03
Manufacturing of food products, SIC_C10
Manufacture Of machinery and equipment N.E.C., SIC_C28, which includes "manufacture of machinery for food, beverage and tobacco processing".
Wholesale trade, except of motor vehicles and motorcycles, SIC_G46, which includes "agents involved in the sale of food, beverages and tobacco".
Retail trade, except of motor vehicles and motorcycles, SIC_G47, which includes "retail sale in non-specialised stores with food, beverages or tobacco predominating"
Food and Beverage service activities, SIC_I56
We publish data on domestic production, imports, exports, intermediate consumption and final consumption expenditure for these industries in the Input-output supply and use tables published on the ONS website.
Inter-industry direct and indirect dependencies can be found in the industry UK Input-output analytical tables. These datasets include the industries which contribute to other industry outputs, the industry Type I Leontief Inverse and total input requirements per unit of final use.
The UK Input-Output Analytical tool may also provide helpful information in your analysis. Using data from the product UK Input-output analytical tables, the tool explores how products and primary inputs can be used to produce further products and satisfy final use.
We do not compile statistics on market concentration or competition within the food sector, nor do we have any unpublished analysis, research papers, or methodological studies relating to food sector statistics.
We do not conduct ad-hoc surveys or experimental statistics relating to this sector.