Senedd members have warned of a public health emergency due to the dominance of ultra-processed food in people’s diets.

Labour’s Jenny Rathbone, who led a debate on a cross-party motion on 12 February told the Senedd: “The food industry spends billions promoting our disastrous diets and we have to use the power of community to fight back.”

“There's no time to lose.

“The ever-escalating diabetes epidemic is already devouring 17 per cent of the NHS budget.

“The levels of malnutrition among hospital patients are prolonging patient stays, and the main driver of early death and chronic illness is not smoking but our obesogenic diets.”

Llyr Gruffydd MS warned that too many people in Wales struggle to access fresh, healthy and affordable food.