Jenny’s Pasta, a lentil bolognese ready meal, was developed and made available in social supermarkets across Middlesbrough, after a previous research study revealed that over 50% of a sample of people with SMI in the north of England live with food insecurity. This is considerably higher than the national average of 18%.
The dish was made by people living with Severe Mental Illness (SMI) as part of a year-long research study to tackle food insecurity and improve access to quality food in Middlesbrough.
The project won in the Research for Local Health Needs category, sponsored by NIHR Research Delivery Network NENC.
The project was led by researchers and clinicians from our Trust, Teesside University, community organisation Middlesbrough Environment City and Fuse (the Centre for Translational Research in Public Health).
Thirty cartons of Jenny’s Pasta were produced using surplus ingredients and made available in social supermarkets across Middlesbrough.
Jo Smith, consultant dietitian (clinical academic) at Trust, was lead researcher on the project and attended the event in Newcastle to accept the award alongside her colleagues.
She said: “We are delighted to have won this award for our research helping people with severe mental illness to access healthy, affordable food whilst reducing food waste. We plan to do more research in this area, including developing a wider range of ready meals using surplus food. This award is a testament to the effective partnership working between the Trust, Teesside University and Middlesbrough Environment City.”
The research project was funded by a Programme Development Grant from the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR).
