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Promoting healthy food choices
28/02/2010
A joint £1.3 million investment from the Scottish Government and retailers to promote healthier food options in convenience stores has been announced.
The Scottish Government plans to invest £679,000 over three years to extend the Scottish Grocers' Federation (SGF) Healthyliving Programme, matched by a £650,000 investment from retailers.
The Healthyliving Programme provides shops with the means to display - including chillers and shelving - and promote fresh, healthy produce. The expansion of the programme will see plans in place to:
- Sign up more independent retailers and larger chains to the initiative
- Pilot a scheme to make healthier 'meal deals' available in shops near schools
- Expand the range of produce covered by the Healthyliving Programme beyond fruit and vegetables to include foods such as wholemeal bread, low-fat milk, fish and potatoes
- Create a 'Gold Standard' for stores already in the programme who want to go that little bit further in promoting healthier produce
- Work with communities to provide more information on eating healthily
Speaking at the Scottish Grocers' Federation Conference in St Andrews, Public Health Minister Shona Robison said:
"We are committed to tackling Scotland's obesity epidemic and this initiative will continue to make it easier for people to make healthy choices.
"Extending this programme will make a huge difference to the availability of affordable, healthy food in shops.
"The added investment of £1.3 million means that the SGF Healthyliving Programme can include more shops across Scotland. This is an opportunity for customers to get more choice from their local stores and for retailers to become an integral part of their communities by helping to improve Scotland's diet."
Scottish Grocers' Federation Chief Executive John Drummond said:
"I am delighted with the success of the SGF Healthyliving Programme so far; it is a model of a successful partnership between the Scottish Government and private sector. This success is thanks to a will among all parties to improve the retailers' offering of fruit, vegetables and other healthier produce and provides a 'win win' situation for consumer and retailer.
"I look forward to continuing our working relationship with government in their plans to improve the nation's diet."
Rural Affairs Secretary Richard Lochhead said:
"Partnership with grocery retailers is essential for delivering our ambitions for Scottish food and drink - particularly in terms of growing the food and drink sector and improving Scotland's diet.
"Retailers are increasingly seeking to stock and promote local produce in order to meet growing consumer demand. The Healthyliving Programme is a key ingredient of our national food and drink policy and will help consumers make informed food choices."
Minister for Public Health Shona Robison launched the Scottish Government's obesity strategy Preventing Overweight and Obesity in Scotland - A Route Map Towards Healthy Weight on February 22, 2010.
The Scottish Grocers' Federation (SGF) represents independent convenience stores in Scotland, with approximately 250 members representing over 2,000 retail outlets.
The £1.3 million will bring the total investment in the Healthyliving Programme to £3.4 million.
The Healthyliving Programme currently has 625 members. Retailers have seen increased sales and have reported that 56 per cent of their consumers are buying more fruit and vegetables than they did three years ago. Sales of confectionary in SGF Healthyliving Programme stores have fallen from 13 per cent of all sales in 2006 to 10 per cent in 2009.
Scottish schools provide nutritious and healthy meal options for pupils. These measures will ensure that healthy alternatives are also available for those young people who prefer to leave school at lunch times.