Proposed cuts in social welfare and child benefit will result in unhealthy diets and long-term health problems, it has been claimed.
Healthy Food for All, which promotes healthy eating for low-income groups, said a Food Safety Authority study had found that it was up to ten times cheaper to eat a poor diet, high in fat, salt and sugar than a healthy one.
That study also found that the choice of shops in communities had a big impact on dietary choice, with local convenience stores being up to twice as expensive for the purchase of healthy foods.
Marjo Moonen, chairwoman of Healthy Food For All, said social welfare and child benefit cuts recommended in the McCarthy report would put a healthy diet even further out of reach for low-income households.
"At a minimum, welfare rates must not be reduced, as this would only further restrict low-income families from eating a healthy diet," she said. "We know that a healthy diet helps to prevent heart disease, stroke, cancers and obesity. All households, regardless of their income, have a right to food that provides adequate nutrition and protection against common diseases."
Ms Moonen said the Government would save money in the long run by ensuring that low-income households had access to healthy foods. She also called on all relevant Government departments to play their part in encouraging health eating.
"The Department of Health has an obvious responsibility to reduce the effects of unhealthy diets. The Department of Education plays a big part in shaping the dietary habits of young children for their lifetime, and welfare and benefit rates set by the Department of Social and Family Affairs influence how much people can afford to spend on their food shopping."
The healthy food initiative is calling for alternative non-commercial ways of providing healthy food, such as food cooperatives and the expansion of school food initiatives.
Healthy Food For All is an all-island initiative, funded by agencies such as the HSE and the Department of Social and Family Affairs.
