News bites

Towards a National Food Policy for Scotland –next steps

By Linda Fenocchi, Scottish Government - Food Industry Division

“April 25 marked the close of the formal discussion period for the first steps towards a national policy for food in Scotland, designed to boost jobs and business, help make food healthier and minimise the environmental impact of food production, manufacture and retail.  

The discussion document, ‘Choosing the Right Ingredients’ was published in January and provided an opportunity for those across all sectors of the food industry, the wider public and voluntary sectors and everyone with an interest in food in Scotland, to become involved in the conversation to inform a long-term vision for food in Scotland.

The food policy, which would be the first of its kind in the UK, aims to join up government policy on every part of the food chain from farm gate to plate. More than 25,000 unique visitors had accessed the website pages, with many providing online responses and comments on the video blog. 

People have been telling us there is far more to food than what we put on our plate. The food discussion has taken into account all aspects of food production and consumption, from health and education to the economy and tourism. They are saying they want clear information about where the food they eat comes from, they want to be able to make informed choices about the food they buy and they want to be able to access the healthiest, affordable, seasonal local produce.

Responses to the discussion will be carefully considered to help develop Scotland’s first-ever food policy. Richard Lochhead, Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs and the Environment, will be making an indicative statement about the key findings of the discussion and the next steps at the Royal Highland Show in June. Although the formal discussion period is now closed, there will be ongoing policy development and further opportunities to comment throughout the year.”

To find out more, keep up to date with developments and join the national food discussion, go to: www.scotland.gov.uk/food

Table talk

Website needs fed!

We’ve had a great response to our new look website, which aims to keep you up to date with everything that is going on at the healthyliving award. Keep checking regularly to find out what’s new at www.healthylivingaward.co.uk

Many more caterers are now registering online, and we welcome your feedback about this process.  We also need your photos for the award winners’ gallery, plus healthyliving recipes to share with other caterers and consumers, so please keep sending them in.  

Get in touch at coretalk@healthylivingaward.co.uk

Download this issue in PDF format
Food Service Sector
Involved in the food service sector and would like to know more? Click here
Customers
Do you sometimes want to eat healthily when eating out? Click here
issue six:
May 2008
Change font size
The healthyliving awardNHS Health Scotland - Scotland's health improvement agencyHealthier Scotland - Scottish GovernmentHealthier Scotland - Scottish Government