Below are the written responses that we received during the discussion period.
(N.B - This excludes those responses that have been requested confidential or where permission has yet to be obtained (so they may be marked confidential but are not necessarily so)
Some responses (including further responses) are being formatted and will be available very shortly. You can also catch other formal responses considered for analysis at the food blog
1 Name, address and response supplied
2 Name and address supplied
The Scottish Government has the opportunity to send out a clear message to the public by insisting that all catering suppliers such as Sodexho only use Free Range Poultry and ethically raised meat products. Currently I do not use the catering facilities as I cannot get any information on the provenance of the meat products being used. I suspect Sodexho use mass produced, intensively reared battery eggs and broiler chickens which are legally(!) grown in the most appalling conditions. I would urge consultation of the following site as well... http://www.chickenout.tv/ Is it not time that legislation was introduced to force.
Poultry farmers to adhere to stricter guidelines for Free Range production such as those advocated by the Compassion in World Farming Organisation? http://www.ciwf.org.uk/ Scotland could be the world benchmark for the ethical production of meat and poultry. We also have the facilities to be food independent yet we still utilise only a fraction of our production facilities and still use appalling production techniques.
So, impress me, start the moves towards the banning of intensive farming of poultry, the removal of artificial growth hormones in our cattle and the banning of GM crops and the use of phosphates and other environmentally harmful materials in farming. Make Scotland a leader not a follower on the world farming stage. Until then this myth that we have the best produce will continue to be just that, a myth. With out respect to the animals that feed us and ethical treatment of those animals our produce is as tainted as anyone else's.
3 Name and address supplied
I could write for hours on important elements within food, health, education and behaviour. ill try and make it brief....if you would like more detailed input please contact me via my given email address. My situation: 2 year ago I was 325 pounds, pale, hung over, and in terrible shape. Today I am 204 pounds, lean and in great physical shape. this process was phoenix like for me, in both physical and mental terms. During this transformation i have been asked time and again what 'the secret it' people think I'm in a unique position to hand out this wisdom. I have now begun to embrace this responsibility and am applying to study an MSc in Public health policy to supplement my politics degree.
I'm taking part in the Scottish Governments 'learning at work' and in general my main passion in life is to share my experiences and results, and help others gain perspective and guide them through a similar change. I would dearly like to be involved in this current food debate, in particular within the nutrition and exercise portion. This is something i would happily devote my free time to. The key tennents of my approach to the health issues of Scotland today are: 1) knowledge - primarily I think that the more informed you are, the less of a crutch the government will have to provide for your well being. In particular i have found it impossible to attain government funding or assistance in pursuing my public health policy MSc, which i find unusual given the current health focus. 2) Miss information - i believe that a large portion of the health situation today in Scotland is to do with miss use of terminology and ideas.
The first thing i would do with your campaign to alter our food related habits is: change this statement. "Innovating and developing more low-fat, low-salt and low-sugar foods" The idea of fat and its dietary ramifications is outdated. Often low sugar foods are chemically altered to replace the taste, and often these products are more detrimental to our health. to universally say fat and sugar is bad in your mission statement is too simplistic and can lead to a myriad of other problems. The reality is that certain fats, and certain uses of fats are bad for you. another reality is that REFINED sugars are bad for you.
The other major thing excluded from this statement, is exactly how bad white, refined flour is for your bodies well being. these conceptions of what is causing obesity and heart problems are out of date. they have become so ingrained in our minds that its hard to change. most people are shocked to know that fat makes up 50% of my calories. they are even more shocked to know that my body fat % is 8.7% based on this diet. They are also shocked to see that i would choose to eat a brown(unrefined) sugar based, wholemeal flour cake (made with butter, not trans fats!) than have a can of diet coke. the diet coke is infinitely worse for you for a number of reasons. the point is, that food choices should be in line with your other focuses. cookie: home grown wholemeal flour, dark chocolate, butter(not trans fats), brown unrefined sugar vs standard packaged cookie - imported from god knows where, which numbers and chemicals on the back that no one understands, made with trans fats (which are the bad fats), and refined white flour and sugar - which are devoid of all nutritional value and are basically only the bad elements of these foodstuffs. people will always eat cookies, but will they eat the whole food cookie, or the chemically adulterated death biscuit. so it is not as simple as saying low fat = good. people will shun fat, their meals will not be satisfying due to this and they will 'fill the whole' late at night with junk food. or you can instead press upon them the healthy virtues of having a balanced fat intake (poly, mono and saturated fat) and avoiding trans fats. the message is all important. please change it. i have no qualifications to do with nutrition, but i would dearly love to be able to take part in discussions on these formulative stages, if only to scrutinise the status quo and help people assess concepts that are viewed at solid.
4 Jacqueline Finlay
I am a stay at home Mum with 2 young daughters, and I am obviously concerned about their health and life choices. The main points that I wish to make are as follows: In my area there are very few independent shops. Most of the weekly groceries have to be purchased at the supermarket, who have BOGOF deals mainly on a variety of cakes, pies, processed foods, etc. It is sometimes more expensive to buy good quality fresh produce than cheap and nasty ready meals, which really irritates me. Food poverty will never be improved as long as this is the case.
What I would really like is choice. I would like to go to my supermarket for certain things because I feel that they do have a role to play. However I believe that it is even more important that smaller traders and farm shops selling local produce be supported, either financially or through help with marketing. I already travel to my nearest farm shop which is approximately 10 miles away. I can't go every week because of the distance involved, but the produce there really does taste so much better, and also keeps better too! This is probably because it hasn't been sent to another country for packaging before being transported back to Scotland via a distribution depot and then onto the supermarket shelves (meanwhile losing much of its vitamin content.)
There is also much better traceability in that everything that is not from the farm itself is labelled to show where it has come from, and you get a sense that you are helping to support farmers in and around the local area. The Co-operative foodstores seem streets ahead of the "BIG 4" supermarkets in this regard, and I feel that many of their practices including information about recycling their packaging, and fat & salt content could easily be done by their larger competitors. It would be great if political pressure could help this to be achieved, although I guess their shareholders would not be impressed.
To sum up, I want to buy local quality produce from easily accessible shops at a fair price. Surely, this would have a positive impact on the environment too - it would be nice to see a few less long distance transport vehicles on the road! I am doing my own wee bit it terms of educating my children - I get them involved in growing their own flowers and vegetables in a small patch in the garden, and in helping to cook and bake, as well as talking about healthy eating. I realise that this is not possible for many children, but that Nursery and Primary School education could provide these activities.
5 Tom Gray, Braco, Perthshire
We are continually reminded of what a great and beautiful land Scotland is, the great healthy foods we produce and what a wonderful place it is to visit. Yet Scotland has the worst health, diet, crime and poverty levels in Europe. Most Scots happen to be landless. These are no accidents but consequences of our peculiar and ancient land ownership structure now being combined with an equally skewed farm ownership structure.
In short we need more people occupying our land and engaged in the production of the foods of their choice. More allotments for those urban dwellers who appreciate the health giving benefits in both the production and eating of fresh produce. More farms for those who wish to enjoy rural living, engage in food production and subsidise, from off farm income, the priceless lifestyle to be enjoyed there. More opportunity for those youngsters condemned to urban living to not only see and be told how food is produced by those who enjoy producing it, but actually gain the faintest hope that they could one day have the chance to enjoy producing it themselves.
Current farm support measures severely disadvantage smaller farmers and completely rule out everyone else. Support to individual farmers should be capped immediately if we are to avoid our land and food producing industry following a similar route as the retail trade into the monopolising hands of an anonymous few and our population becoming even more remote from food production. Our land must be enjoyed and nurtured by as many as possible if we are to firstly maximise its potential in rearing people at peace with themselves, restoring health and reducing poverty and crime, and, secondly maximise our land's potential in the production of variety of healthy home grown foods.
6 VisitScotland - Confidential
7 Robin Bate, Edinburgh
I personally enjoy organic/biodynamic food. For me it taste much better and is healthier. You try the difference between something quite straight forward - organic oat cakes and non organic oatcakes. I am much more likely to eat a healthier option if it is organic because the natural taste is so much better. I am always concerned about the amount of products with artificial sweeteners in them. As far as i am aware artificial sweeteners are a by product of an industrial process and it is a product our liver does not cope with very well. I would look to getting artificial sweeteners out of all foods as soon as possible. Replace them with fructose or raw cane sugars finely ground. I would also look to reduce refined sugars and replace them with raw cane or fruit sugars. It is very sad you cant get diluting juice now without artificial sweeteners, even the great name of Robison's barley water has artificial sweetners in them. How gross.
The use of micro wave ovens is convenient - but not only does it make the food taste a bit odd, it makes prepackaged meals easier to sell. This is an area where more knowledge could maybe help the consumer. ie too much convenient food is bad for you. But a long term campaign showing the positive side of cooking and eating meals with family and friends would be very helpful. for years we have been subjected to advertisements that show how horrible it is to slave over a stove when you can have instant soup or instant mash. And now we have celebrity chefs saying the opposite.
Food adverts should not be allowed to undermine the benefits of healthy eating, cooking (including preparing) and sharing meal times with family and friends. I noticed some sweets are coming on the market with no artificial colours sweeteners or additives - that is very encouraging. I have tasted them and they are delicious. Of course we have a large drinks industry, and an international market for many of our top drinks. But some ways of reducing the heavy drinking of quite a large part of the 15 to 45 year olds would be most welcome by many; police, NHS workers, and families themselves. Best of luck with your aims, very noble and worth while.
8 Name and address supplied
One of the main drawbacks of local food in this area is the lack of a slaughter facility, all our animals have to be transported over 50 miles which now involves more red tape, stress to animals, uses more fuel and adds cost to an already marginal crofting business. This year many lambs were "disposed" off for £15 as there was no market! Had there been a local slaughter facility many of these animals may well have been used. The area also has some small scale beef and pork producers, but, again the long distances and regulation make it "not worth the bother" of providing local food and indeed may well give up crofting altogether.
9 Name and address supplied
When so many people in the world are suffering from famine, war, pestilence, flood and global warming it seems selfish that we in Scotland who have so much wealth should be considering a food policy. You should do nothing without looking at the United Nations (UN) development goals. You also need to consider the low wages of agricultural workers and catering staff throuhgout the UK and the impacts of genetical modified food. Finally you need to consider the way food is presented on TV to a wealthy viewing public.
These days there is never any reference to the tight budgets experienced by many people who with limited cooking skills cook in high pressure family situations. Food is about human relationships. The single parent, man or woman in e.g a bedsit is seldom considered while the disabled are not even on the radar. I can hardly stress enough the importance of arms and legs when cooking. A friend had epilepsy and suffered several nasty burns from frying pans due to being unable to equip his bedsit with appropriate devices and also through lack of safety advice.
Finally disease, health & hygiene is seldom discussed on cookery programmes. Food is also about lifestyles and too often we are presented with expensive glamourous high fat dishes from cooks like Nigella Lawson who is married to one of the richest men in the world or Jamie Oliver who I am sure can't remember what it is like to be on social security beneifts. The extravagance of her larder and library of cook books is grotesque and reflects the way in today's society we are encouraged to be greedy in our everyday consumption. There should be emphasis on sharing food experiences.
10 Name and address supplied
It is good to see that there is lots in the Consultation Paper about education of children, and there is some stuff about what 'consumers' can do. I am concerned however, that much of our bad diet nationally is because many of us just don't cook, or know *how to cook* anymore. I suspect that this can make people defensive when well intentioned advice is offered, as they feel it is beyond their abilities to apply the advice. Although there are many reasons behind this, I think one must be the generation or two who didn't learn to cook basic recipes at school, when people were taught 'about' food rather than to *make* it. I gather that this has now changed and that children are again cooking in schools (we can't get one of my nephews to STOP making shortbread since he learned!).
What can we do to get the missing generations away from pre-cooked and takeaways and back into their kitchens? I know that the old mantra is 'start with the children', but what of the long term health of those who are getting it wrong now? I believe that our national diet is in a state of crisis and that a direct and nationwide campaign is needed, but not just information that makes people feel nagged at, or makes people feel that their income is inadequate to the task of good nutrition. (Have you noticed how often 'budget' has been the defence people have given in the recent sequence of shows on Channel 4 with Jamie Oliver and Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall when asked why they don't buy healthier or more ethical produce?).
We need to find a way that encourages people to change without them feeling attacked for doing it 'wrong' now. It is an irony that the more famous chefs become, the more cooking shows there are on TV, the more recipe books that are sold, and the fancier the kitchens that MFI etc want to sell us, the less we cook and the more we buy ready-meal facsimiles of the on-screen creations. So surely, we need to find a way to teach people cooking that they feel they can afford and would like to eat. But what would that way be? Big question.
I confess that I rather like the idea of an army of WRI types touring the country in 'Battle Buses' equipped with kitchens doing cooking demonstrations from George Square to Achiltibuie, and distributing 'National Recipe Books' they go. Something like the Domestic Science part of the Australian 'Better Farming Train' of the 1920/30s!
11 Linda Brackenbury
A national food policy I think is a good idea, and it would have implications and affect everyone right across the food chain in Scotland. I believe education to be the key, if you wean a baby on liquidized good local produce, then that baby does not grow to crave chemically preserved or produced food. Schools should be looking back to practices of post war years, when good local produce was widely available, if not in quantity then at least in quality and used in school kitchens, children should be taught of where their food comes from and school cookery lessons should be made to be a compulsory part of the curriculum for boys as well as girls. As well as practical lessons, there should be lessons in nutrition and as to what the body needs to survive as opposed to what the body craves. Junk food out, good nutritious food in. The child who believes that such as Tuna comes from a tin, is not well educated and without doubt will suffer the consequences later in life.
Rural issues in the production of food are that farmers are restricted in the use of their land, and many do not produce as much as they would perhaps wish to, and transporting of local food is an issue for many living on the islands or remote areas of mainland Scotland and a co-operative among communities is not always a viable option, the same applies to livestock or fish etc, On farm facilities for food production from field to consumer are few and far between, especially in remote areas so perhaps a middle ground should be considered or reconsideration on the ability that most farmers enjoy which is to produce chemically free, good food to sell from the farm gate, such as as home produced bacon, sausages, free range eggs, jams, preseves, bread and cakes, vegetables and fruit etc, old fashioned ideas, but nonetheless good nutritious produce, at affordable prices, I have never met an unhealthy farmer yet.
There is without doubt too much red tape, between food production and consumers. Anyone involved within the food industry in Scotland are aware of their duties and obligations to the public and their customers, and for the most part these people are responsible individuals. and again it is education which holds the key, forget the six month college courses offering qualifications and go back to the training of individuals, apprenticeships and courses lasting at least two years before issuing certificates to would be professionals of tomorrow.
I think there is too much confusion among consumers, people reading labels in a supermarket are often unaware of what they are actually reading. Not everyone has in depth knowledge of either the ingredients or chemical preservatives used in pre-packaged produce. Colour coding is all very well, but what if the individual has visual impairment? If we cut the waste produced in fancy packages, we reduce the likelihood of cross-contamination, hygiene and cleaner practices kick in. I am unsure of how exactly we got from being a reasonably healthy nation to being a nation of uneducated and unhealthy individuals, but I believe that with direction from the government, less imported food, less junk food shops on every street corner, lesser opening hours for these junk food shops, quality produce in supermarkets and in quantity of which Scotland is capable of, and priced realistically is the answer.
Everyone thought that organic food was best, but restrictions placed on producers make it nigh on impossible to keep prices down, and the result is that few families with lower incomes can afford to buy it, in fact I would go as far as to say that those on low incomes are in effect being force fed junk food, simply because they cannot afford fresh local produce regardless of location.
With regard to campaigns etc, Previous governments have spent hundreds of thousands of the great british pounds in advertising and campaigns, they have gone all out to promote this or that,and all or mostly to no avail. I think this government should take a different approach, don't go all out on glossy promotions, tell it like it is, inform the people that these health choices must be made, "eat healthy or die young" educate them. Any money that may have spent on such campaigns, could be used to bring back such as daily portions of milk and fruit for every child of primary school age, Take the junk food off the school menu and make it less available in out of school hours.
12 Name and address supplied
Dear sir or madam the only way is to make healthy cheaper than standard food more so with school children. but what i am trying to say make hamburger's all the things kids like by the way i include the teenage section after school as well we are one off the best quality beef producers why not open our own branch instead of mcdonalds call it mcTavish's or the like if it taste's good & is cheaper they will go for it if we produce it ourselves it is bound to be cheaper then the parents also would enjoy the food and be happy for their family to go there instead of a mcflurry it could be replaced with fresh fruit + fresh cream. we have also a lot off dairy producer's in Scotland make the Scottish food cheaper in supermarket's but make sure they don't cash in on it by more than there usual mark up.
As you know the Scots have a reputation for being careful we have the potential, make it good make it cheap and the Scottish population will buy it then the revenue goes back into Scotland, because it was healthy our profit would be made on the quantity sold plus the quality would promote better health and would be less pressure on our health service. this was proven on a documentary that was on TV sorry i cant mind the name of it the researcher's placed a everyday person that ate a lot in fast food store's mainly because of work but also ate there in his leisure time as well because of convenience , They then found a person who ate health all the time and basically swapped places now both were examined by top Harley street doctor's, and charted all the there health result's. Thereafter a day by day check was made on each person and charted by week 1/ the healthy person began to feel ill by the second week she had to force the food down the other person began to improve dramatically and i think from memory by the commencement of the third week the healthy lady could not continue now after watching this it certainly changed my lifestyle off eating and i did feel better. Sorry i cant mind the name off the program. hope this helps in some way…well I do my best anyway.
13 Fi Bird, Kirriemuir, Angus
Given £60,000 to the Royal Highland Education Trust, which teaches children about where food comes from' This is a ridiculously small amount of money! Also, other organisations are doing similar work, for example The Scottish Countryside Alliance)and the Coop farm visits (and to a certain extent the Coop enterprise project). We need some joined up thinking and an equal chance for every child - ie not just those children fortunate enough to be involved in a Countryside Alliance, Coop or RHET project.
We need simple nutrition and food skills on the primary school curriculum. I have spent time working in primary schools where proactive Head teachers (who would probably contact RHET too)have secured funding for healthy eating/ cookery sessions and I have yet to come across a child who doesn't enjoy the sessions. If, you show children how to cook with the raw ingredient there is a far greater chance that they will eat a healthier diet. It is also a good opportunity to allude to the research concerning how many times they can say'Yuk' to something and then change your mind (I say 10 but my daughter tells me that Prue Leith says 11 !)
Aside from cookery on the primary school curriculum, I would like to see Fairtrade as high up your list as local food. Local must also mean that produce is affordable and accessible to every child. However, responsible consumerism involves buying Fairtrade products as well as local, not least because Fairtrade standards encourage sustainable production and respect for the environment.
14 Name and address supplied
There are a great many people in the food industry who have been pioneering new and innovative business processes and methods they see as important in delivering their personal values and business objectives driving change in the food sector.
We have all been meeting with government and their support agencies, over many years keeping them up to date with developments in order to tap into their support mechanism. It is therefore no surprise that we are hearing all the right words, its how change will be delivered that will demonstrate whether it will be real or not!
The benefits of the food supply chain fall roughly into four categories; 1. Sustainability and regional development (creating and sustaining hundreds of local jobs in predominantly rural communities and the development of a robust and vibrant regional economy) 2. Environmental benefits ( food & packaging waste - carbon emissions and greenhouse gases- reducing traffic congestion as well as the volumes of waste going into landfill) 3. Health and Education ( Engagement, interaction, healthy eating, information and fun - supporting disadvantaged communities and engaging with young people) 4. Commercial benefits ( win - win, new business, increased market share, reduced costs, increased efficiency, fair-trade, new export markets). The key to unlocking these benefits is the collaborative supply chain it delivers the business benefits which underpin competitive pricing and through the introduction of innovative technologies we introduce change to consumer attitudes about how food is prepared and sourced thereby building and delivering the social benefits that are directly attributed to the food chain.
Larder Bytes have been developing collaborative supply chain technologies for over 15 years and for a project to succeed at a basic level there must be trust and openness. Within the business environment strong relationship are built on the win - win principle where everyone at the table is there to benefit their own business through collaboration with their supply chain partners. These benefits and efficiencies are generally passed onto the end user i.e. the customer, as a unique selling point used to grow business volume for the entire supply chain.
The Larder Bytes concept of developing a network of collaborative supply chains is about reintroducing local food as the nations trusted champion, the majority of its products being sourced and delivered locally through regional supply chains. It is the high street merchant, the butcher, fishmonger, green grocer etc. as well as their local primary producers and food processors who are best placed to deliver these commercial and social benefits. This isn't to say that big business and even the supermarkets don't have a role to play. However I think we all believe that the issues currently being raised as part of this review are correct and worthwhile, and that we are currently failing to deliver what's required by the food industry to ensure a healthy sustainable nation. It is for this reason that more of the same just isn't good enough, we need to change, and for change to be real we need to be doing something different.
A great many local projects including ours, have met numerous obstacles in trying to secure support. Having pioneered and invested in new and innovative systems and to find your ideas and those of your colleagues being fed back to you to comment upon by the very agencies who you have asked for support is annoying. In my personal experience and that of others, we feel that if our efforts are sidelined in favour of more of the same then this will simply be a waste of money and opportunity and will have a lasting and damaging impact on public confidence. I am also a little unclear on the NFU Scotland's position. For many years they have been at loggerheads with the supermarkets and I personally do not believe that any government will legislate to control the supermarkets or even if they did that it would in any way be effective if that is indeed what is being proposed.
An Alternative maybe to work to create a different market offering an alternative introducing local food into the supply chain, a supply chain in which the supermarket can play a part . Here we have an opportunity for real change let's not waste it. There is of course a possible alternative legislative course that the government could take that would guarantee all of the benefits both social and commercial and underline the government's position in these matters. This is very straight forward, simple and would receive unanimous support from the entire food sector however we are still seeking the opportunity to explore this option. To food suppliers particularly those who have pioneered the way forward, please remember trust is the key to a successful supply chain and that innovation is the lifeblood of business especially small business.
Think about what you have to offer and if there is no benefits in sharing your innovation then don't do it supply chains are about win - win that includes you and not only those big business whose interests are clearly already funded and supported by government. To the high street and food producers the time is now, clearly the social benefits are becoming more and more important, the supply chain properly managed can deliver the cost saving which make local food a cost effective product to market. However, you need to commit - waste this opportunity at you peril! Ultimately it's the consumer who will decide, for once we have the opportunity to create a complete fully functioning supply chain, from end to end. Clearly everyone wants quality it's the supply chains job to supply this cost effectively. Does the consumer really want to see their money in the pockets of the supermarkets shareholders, or do you want to support and build your own local infrastructure and community - ultimately the choice is yours!! If you believe that the time for change is now and you want to do something, then for an insight into what is really possible visit www.larderbytes.com and register your interest.
15 Peter Davidson
This "national discussion" on food presents the perfect opportunity to highlight ways to benefit many aspects of Scottish life. My suggestion is to promote town "market days" in Scotland's communities. This would be very useful in terms of ensuring it is Scottish produce which is consumed, meaning less food miles are undertaken (and therefore better for the environment). It would also help build a sense of community spirit, and help Scottish farmers by giving them a direct line to the market. The negative sides of this proposal would be the Health and Safety rules that are in place - all farmers would need to abide by certain rules (which while necessary might be off-putting as well), and the potential for anti-social behaviour taking place (vandalism of stalls, etc.).
16 Name and address supplied
I would like to see more done to give children could get a better appreciation of what can be grown themselves linked to the importance of looking after the environment if you want to be able to grow produce on an ongoing basis.
Allotments are a good model for just that. For example, Dunblane Allotment Group is Organic. We are a recent allotment group (in our 4th year now) established after a small group of keen volunteers approached the council to turn vacant land into allotments. We now have a waiting list for plots on the land that has been turned from scrub into a productive organic haven for wildlife. People are producing food for their own consumption and looking after the land in a sustainable way.
Can Scottish Government look into expanding the availability of allotments - there is a growing demand for them and most have waiting lists. My kids come to the allotment and see for themselves the toil and trouble and joy of veg growing. We have invited schools to come but they have not shown any interest which is such a shame. Allotments are an untapped resource in the creating a healthier, wealthier, safer, stronger, greener and smarter Scotland.
17 Liz Ashworth, Elgin, Moray
I would value the opportunity to use my years of experience in the food industry to work with small food producers to make their products healthier - small businesses do not necessarily have time to look at this very important issue, due to other pressures of business. I am passionate about wholesome, good quality home grown food and working at present with the Agronomy Institute in Kirkwall Orkney developing good wholesome bakery products using the Orcadain grown and milled grains. We need to encourage and support more of these local initiatives and I will be pleased to lend a hand where possible. As a Member of the Guild of Food Writers I am also in a positiion to help to publicise initiatives and to enlist the help of fellow writers. I have begun a Healthy Eating Children's Food Club with Baxters of Fochabers and would like to be involved in any work towards prevention of overweight teenagers and the avoidance of type 2 diabetes in the young. Basically re-educating the youth of today to cook and eat a healthy diet. I look forward to hearing further from you and would very much like to be part of your team - it is only by working together that results will be achieved.
18 Jean Glass
I speak to ask for urgent research regarding the benefits of a low carbohydrate diet similar to such before the twentieth century and followed before the diabetic and obesity epidemic we have now. I have been roughly following an Atkins style way of eating for over five years now and know it kills compulsive eating stone dead allowing weight to stabilize and food obsession to just disappear. I had been hopping mad -- my cholesterol was high despite my low fat, carb heavy diet -- you know, the one that is making all the kids so huge -- and when I read the Robert Atkins book I gave it a go. You have to get past the writing style. He sounds like he is selling from the back of a caravan. This should be taken as it stands. He was a cardiologist concerned with the increasing misery of diabetes with no time to swat up on crowd pleasing tricks given the importance of his findings and his belief that the public needed to know about them urgently. Anyway I have normal blood pressure and a good cholesterol ratio now.
I think you should get all the top people who believe reduction in carbohydrates is the key to eating well and give them a chance to show what they can do. You will be criticised right away by qualified and often megapowerful agencies but of course the public are following the current advice they are giving and getting fatter, iller and more food compulsed each day. If porridge was the so called staple of the Scottish diet why did people risk death trying to poach that is what my grandad said.
19 Marion Macleod, Dornie
If the government wants to launch a National Food Police and wants the Scottish People to eat healthier food. Why don't they start by supporting the people that produce the food that we should be eating in order to be eating healthier food produced in Scotland. This is ofcourse our farmers and crofters. At the same time as there is going to be this food policy the government is also putting nail after nail in the coffin of this industry that is the backbone of the food that we eat. Farmers and Crofters are a dying breed that should be protected at any cost as without them we could forget about any healthy food policy.
20 Name and address supplied
I fully agree that in principle this is a wonderful idea and should be followed through into reality with due alacrity and tenacity.
There is a need for the consumer to become more understanding of the value of both home produced food and fast food and the corresponding attitudinal shift towards such a basis of good diet that may accompany a change of action including the value for money aspect of food and the attitude to waste.
Many consumers are, in the main, demanding of the full range of foods all year round and not aware of seasonality. In order to address this situation in favour of local produce and the food miles agenda the range of foods which would be fully available and the value of buying 'in season' may require some innovative marketing. However Scotland must deal with foods and products from various countries as well as foods or products of non Scottish origin.
There is the reality of commercial competitiveness especially in the retail and hospitality sectors that need to supply a wide range of foods all year round.
It may be that this range requires some examination to see if it is of both health and economic value to the consumer as well as being acceptable to the retailers.
This could be a spin off of a National Food policy.
Having worked for many years with food/nutritional education all sectors and the 'management of change' I know there are some attitudinal shifts that will need to be addressed if we are to progress meaningfully with a policy which values home produced and/or fresh food as a key means to eating well.
Full collaboration of all sectors- private and commercial -and levy boards will be required if there is to be a paradigm shift in the attitude to food both Scottish and non Scottish in this country.
This shift of culture should start with both young and all decision making persons. There is some evidence from other countries[eg Finland/Australia etc] of how this can be achieved but the sustainability of progress needs to be taken into consideration when evolving a policy in Scotland.
Having read the discussion paper I am delighted to note the high importance of an integrated and socially inclusive approach which is the only way forward.
Several points worth consideration are offered here for your inclusion into the debate:
Lifelong learning.
Ø Food could become a key learning driver in lifelong learning. When teaching young people aspects of Mathemathics ,English, Art etc, etc… It is as easy to count discuss/draw- apples, oranges, grapes etc as it is re cars/marbles etc.[nothing against the non food items]. In many text books used in schools there is little evidence made of food as an integrated learning driver and so from a young age many young people are not aware of the need to think ,talk or discuss about food in any format relating to life situations or focussed cognitive development never mind regard it as an essential ingredient towards good health.
Ø The use of food as a learning tool would alter this situation and lead to a change of perceptions re how, why and from where we source and eat food.
Ø This change of approach would give opportunities for constructive and inclusive thinking about food and what it means to personal development as well as beginning the shift of emphasis towards food as being essential for good living and not just as a fuel stop.
Ø The work of bodies like the British Nutrition Foundation support this integrated approach and try to offer schools valuable support tools to enable teachers to move in this direction.
Ø In school based education in Scotland very little time is given over to such a change of operation. Having worked with educators- all sectors- for many years, the majority of teachers do not see the need for such a shift of emphasis. There are however some prejudices re this approach particularly re aspects of academic studies. Issues of which may become part of the debate.
Ø Text books that are used in both primary and secondary schools are written from the prospective that food, while it is important, is not related to actual lifelong learning. There is very little cognisance taken of the need for any capability for young people and their parents/carers to affect attitudinal change re their understanding of what is meant by a culture of Food.
Ø The firm proposal re the proposed removal of the Advanced Higher Health and Food Technology by Scottish Qualifications Authority- thus downgrading the academic progression opportunities for young people to study food and its related aspects in depth seems at best bizarre and at worst a clear indication of the lack of coherence in national policies. This qualification can put young people on the path for a career in food technology, dietetics and other nutritional based careers- much needed in this country .The removal of this ever increasingly popular advanced higher has been taken apparently for historical economic reasons and as such is an indicator that all sectors of the community do not work in tandem and rate the value of high end food education to be as useful as the current food policy discussion would imply.
Educational training.
All teachers regardless of subject specific, should be given some training- during their initial training period- to make sure that they fully understand how, why and when they could introduce young people to the value of good food in the diet and the importance of sound nutritional eating.
Working with food producers and even processors at this early stage would imbed an understanding of food which- with help -could be a lifelong skill.
Many teachers are not confident to take any such matters forward as they have had no training in nutrition since second year in secondary school if that. There are several associations/companies and universities which try to address this lack of information but many teachers feel this is not mainstream knowledge and as such should be acquired only if time allows. The evidence of having some meaningful nutritional knowledge should be a given in all teacher base qualifications.
It would be worth considering that in schools nutrition education and especially practical food skills should be core and not an optional aspect of the curriculum.
The gaining of REHIS elementary food hygiene certificate should be an integral aspect of education for all year 1 and 2 in secondary schools and not just as an option.
It is well recognised and documented that education is best if applied in a practical sense and so the use of classes -given by qualified teachers who can connect various aspects of the curriculum-and which deal with practical food would be meaningful and worthwhile re the educational experiences of the cohort of young people before they become adult decision makers. Current health education programmes on this topic in most instances are tokenistic towards the real value of sound information and skills about how to eat more healthily and acquire some life skills re practical food. There are some scattered instances of good practice but as a national policy there is a lack of commitment and drive. I would include some classes for parents with children at the junior and the Pre 5 level to encourage a full understanding of how easy it could be to feed the family cheaply but usefully using good inexpensive and often locally gown food products.
The approaches of Hungry for Success and A curriculum for Excellence offer many opportunities for this approach but the thrust of such an approach would be more meaningful as part of a whole national policy about Food and not isolated to education.
University, para medical and full medical courses should have a compulsory course re food and nutrition education and not just a few cursory lectures which may suffice in a box ticking exercise.
It would be even a stronger driver for our national Food Policy and attitudinal shift if there was some form of nutritional understanding and knowledge evidenced as an integral aspect of entrance demand for such courses. [Ref the removal of advanced health and Food technology section on Lifelong learning!] I am aware that the new key aspects of A Curriculum for Excellence has as essential numeracy and literacy and for the first time aspects of health and well being. These aspects which have yet to be released publicly must be related to practical food knowledge.
The following approaches need to be strongly driven by the Government in collaboration with a range of partners and stakeholders:-
Ø Tourism would benefit from a higher profile on the great Scottish larder and the benefits of eating food lacking in food miles as opposed to eating food which has no relationship with the country in which the tourism is being promoted i.e. Scotland. This of course does not exclude food from other countries as we export and import and this economic status must be to the advantage of Scotland. The import ban on foods which are not helpful to some locally produced products eg Brazilian beef should be considered as a high level priority and consumers made fully aware of the current situation.
Ø The hospitality industry must be fully integrated into this debate as it is essential that food outlets in Scotland are seen to be promoting our best products at best value. There could be incentivisation opportunities for the industry to showcase and use more local produce thus enhancing the economic output of local producers.
Ø Scottish hoteliers and the industry should be encouraged by innovative means to use Scottish products where at all possible and there should be a national award for those outlets that are in compliance with such a scheme. It would perhaps be useful to start this approach using a limited range of products and then develop a more holistic approach after such a pilot project. There would of course be a need for serious monitoring and review of any such programme but this would be a meaningful approach.
Ø Menu transparency would be some form of support for the agenda while ensuring that outlets were in fact purchasing a majority of their input as Scottish produce where at all possible..
Ø Retailers and their staff require to be fully informed about issues relating to local produce and the value of same thus to enable consumers to access information at point of sale if necessary. This requires staff training and could be an incentive for staff and retailers if there were rewards for actively promoting this approach.
Ø Food assurance schemes [Food standards Agency] should be conjoined to produce some form of indicator which favours local produce and to make it easier for the consumer to identify same. Reference the Farm Assured Scheme products of the red meat industry.
Ø Labelling is a key issue but must be easy to understand, quickly read and purposeful in the information given. Some labels offer information which cause conflict in the mind of the consumer and as such may be ignored.
Ø Procurement strategies It should be essential that major food procurement contracts have an essential aspect of home grown produce as an integral aspect of the contract and not as a voluntary scheme. I am fully aware of' best value' for money but we are looking at a new way of operating and what must become best value for money and not just cheapness.
Ø The media. It would be very useful if there was some agreement with the media that supportive good news stories had as high an importance as inflammatory headlines such as 'Would Lock Ins for pupils support healthy eating at lunchtime?'. While maybe selling newspapers such an uncontrolled and inflammatory approach does nothing to support reasonable debate about opportunities for young people to access good school meals in a pleasant school environment.
Food processors and producers.
Ø This is an area of development re local food and food related products [like cattle feed etc] that must be more evidence in how the national food agenda is developed and the relationship between cattle feed and the environmental issue. The use of biofuels and other energy fuel sources has to be high on the agenda in order to allow some sustainable development in this matter. Some farmers may see this as an inconvenience but it should become part of the assessment process of farm assured and self evaluation to encourage a more 'eco friendly' approach.
Ø Consumers need to be informed about the rigorous assurance schemes in place applied to food produced in the UK for example as in the red meat industry.
Ø Levy Boards and the Food Standards Agency require to ensure that they inform the consumer as accurately as possible about food safety measures re food production especially but not exclusively in Scotland to enable good decision making skills by the consumer about food product choice.
Ø The issue of food miles should be a topic of general debate especially related to global warming. The media could be encouraged to have some accurate and useful reporting about this issue.
Ø The development of the levy boards should enable a more cross sectoral conversation re both values and collaboration with the range of food sources.
Ø There may be some sensitivities re various complexities in some Levy Boards and the positive post R Radcliffe agenda but this must be dealt with in an open and transparent manner in all sectors and at all levels of the boards and sector companies.
Ø This is a Scottish food policy debate but not in isolation from other parts of the UK and Europe re food assurance schemes and product procurement schemes.
Ø Many of the local authority and national bodies have no transparent policy about food procurement. This needs to be addressed in an open and accountable manner to support consumer understanding of such issues.
Ø The Hungry for Success programme needs a national coordinator to support and progress LEA developments and to work in tandem with HMIe and the local community groups involved in all aspects of health issues.
Ø Food should not be seen in isolation from activity and it would be useful to ensure that Sports Scotland is seen to be working in conjunction with the food industry to support the good delivery possibilities of the Future for Food in Scotland paper as presented to day.
Ø Public buildings should be clearly supporting an 'eat well' approach and evidence of same is important to the 'office' worker and those visiting public buildings. Ref canteens in hospitals /government offices /local authority canteens etc.
Ø Health centres and doctor's surgeries must be seen to be firmly promoting an eat well approach and giving support to such visitors. This done by action such as healthy option vending machines, free water available and competitive pricing in the vending machines /discouraging sweet eating and the consumption of fizzy drinks while waiting for attention etc..
Ø The career pathway of Food technologists must be given some improved status in Scotland. Research into improved eating quality of foods and the reduced fat and salt etc quality for foods especially those produced in Scotland etc should be seen as an important driver of economic success for Scotland. This has not been the case in the past despite very valuable research in some universities. The example of the progress in the bread production programme should be a catalyst for other products to be developed in a similar manner. This of course will require more research and as such bring into more prominence the valuable asset of food technologists working in Scotland and for Scotland.
Ø The major retailers are keen to be supportive of a better diet but there are opportunities for Scotland to lead the way in how this is implemented.
Ø Some super markets try to convince shoppers that the only way to shop is at their stores. While this is a convenience and one to be accepted as a 21st century approach it does not have to be the major way in which people continue to shop and purchase food.
21 Fergus Craig, Edinburgh
This is an opportunity to reconsider the evidence for what a healthy diet should consist of. The hypothesis that a low fat, high carbohydrate diet is beneficial in combating heart disease, diabetes and hypertension was ill conceived to begin with and is now largely discredited. It has been the established dogma for the past 40 years but has little convincing evidence to support it. Diabetes is far more effectively treated with a low carbohydrate diet, as indeed are many of the diseases of civilisation. If this was properly considered, it could truly put Scotland at the forefront of dietary thinking worldwide. What an achievement that would be!
22 Name, address and response supplied - Confidential
23 Sandra Smith
Thank you for giving this opportunity to input into Scotland's food policy. It's a burning issue and one of the things everyone is talking about these days - from taste and quality, to globalisation and intensive production methods, nutritional value (or lack of it), and general food adulteration in its many forms. It all adds up to a pretty unpleasant concoction that's seriously damaging to peoples' health and the environment. There's a bit of a mess that needs to be sorted out. We have an opportunity to make things a lot better in Scotland. I would like to comment specifically on the following areas.
Local food I would definitely support much more emphasis on fresh local food. I think there has been a gradual trend away from this and towards globalisation, which seems to have become the norm, and which is a bad almost insane thing. We should promote and support local produce as the first choice, for everything that is home produced. We do need to set up mechanisms to allow this to happen. Organic There is now such a huge demand for organic produce that current systems can't meet, and we end up with insane things like beef from Argentina and potatoes from Israel. I would definitely support active promotion and encouragement of responsible and organic farming and growing in Scotland, turning more land over to it and encouraging food diversity and innovation. The demand is out there for safe natural food people can trust.
Growing your own. More encouragement and support for growing your own food can only be good. In the cities however, this is an almost impossible thing to do, unless you have an allotment - like gold dust in the city. I would definitely support urban land being turned over for allotments, and urban food production in general. Without going into detail, there are ways and means. It doesn't have to be just a rural activity.
Education and the young. I think the whole food issue needs to be brought into schools in an innovative way to guide our young people away from a largely ignorant and passive attitude towards food and drink. They make poor choices and have become worryingly detached from reality. It could provide really valuable educational opportunities in many subject areas if food was taken through an entire process as an educational project - from the beginning in soil science and what will grow in the Scottish climate; planning a garden, planting and growing, harvesting; cooking and menu planning, nutrition and health. And at the end of the process could even slip into projects in enterprise (marketing and selling your produce in local farmers' markets for example). And I don't mean doing this just in eco-schools.
Food definitely sits very neatly in the Health and Well-being agenda, and certainly into all of the wider capacities of Curriculum for Excellence. GM technology Out of all of the food issues we currently face, this is probably the most crucial. Scotland needs to be GM-free as far as food and agriculture is concerned. In this issue precaution is not enough, and ignoring it won't make it go away. * GMOs have a negative and seriously damaging impact on the environment, and once they are out there, the effects cannot be undone. GM is a form of pollution that cannot be cleaned up at a later date. * GMOs are harmful to human health. Independent studies that have been done uncover an array of toxic and other harmful effects. * The biotech companies have behaved in a most undemocratic way, in recklessly forcing their (untested) products into the global food chain and undermining consumer choice all over the world.
Finally one other point I would like to make is in response to the prospect of 'walking more to the shops instead of driving' (in section How will we get there?). I would definitely support this, but retailers need to be open to making deliveries in their area. You can't carry much. And I wholeheartedly support 'using fewer plastic bags', but sadly this is still a norm and another message that needs to get across to retailers, who routinely pack into plastic, unless you can stop them first! Once again thank you for this opportunity. Best wishes.
24 Bob Bull, North Kessock, Inverness
I believe that it is vital that people should be given opportunities to learn about food and its production, and that we shouldn't rely on a process of "hearsay" for people to learn, as clearly this doesn't work- if it did we wouldn't be in the position we are in now. Equally we have to guard against people learning through campaigning organisations who have particular viewpoints. My family set up Glachbeg Croft Education Centre to provide programmes for schools, individuals and the widest possible community.
Our programmes provide first hand opportunities for people to have experience of aspects of food production and use. For example people have opportunities to be involved in growing food- both plants and animals- and then to use the products in cooking. I believe people should make their own choices through knowledge. This project has been funded from our own resources- with support from ABDS towards the construction of the building.Previously I ran an education centre for a local authority on which Glachbeg is modelled and also work with the National Association of Field Studies Officers and Federation of City Farms and Community Gardens. Please see www.glachbeg.org.uk.
We would very much like to increase opportunities for schools, other groups and individuals to take part in our programmes. I would also be keen to be involved in the wider debate on food education.
25 East Fife Allotments Association
We are voluntary organisation working to create an allotment site at Upper Largo near Leven, Fife. We welcome the opportunity to respond to the consultation on a National Food policy. The Association acknowledge the main focus of any future policy should be building a successful commercial food and drink industry. The Association feel however that some emphasis in future policy should be directed to encouraging people to grow their own food. We do not think this would be in conflict with commercial interests but rather, would compliment the development of a healthy food culture, providing more choice and contributing to the broader sustainability agenda. The provision of allotments is one way to provide opportunities for people to produce their own food. Demand for allotments has been steadily increasing and there are currently around 3,000 on official local authority waiting lists in Scotland.
There is further anecdotal evidence to suggest there is significant latent demand for growing your own food. Indeed our Association was established in an area where there was no official waiting list and no allotment provision. We currently have 33 members.
Reports and articles on the Scottish Allotments and Gardens Society website, www.sags.org.uk, point to an increasing number of communities either seeking land to establish allotment sites or lobbying their local authority to increase provision. We believe; that with the right forms of encouragement, incentive and co-operation from and between local authorities, national government and voluntary sector; there exists plenty of potential for local communities to successfully develop new provision.
An example the Scottish Government may wish to investigate is in England where the National Lottery has announced a £50million fund to support community food initiatives. We would therefore encourage the government to promote the increased provision and promotion of allotments as part of its national food policy. Yours faithfully Iain Anderson Chairperson East Fife Allotments Association.
26 Anne McKillop
The document raises many important points but is very industry focussed. I think it's important to get people, adults and children alike, growing and eating their own produce. I would like to see the Scottish Government supporting organisations that teach, enable and promote allotments, beekeeping and community & school gardens.
I believe there is a growing demand for more allotments from local communities throughout the country. Growing your own food focuses your mind on healthy eating through addressing the associated chemical and pest control issues. Schools working on their Eco-schools award, communities working on improving their village through BSBI etc are all well placed to engage with and promote these issues.
27 Roddy Mungall
I think that we need to know a number of things about our food. However, I do think we need to get smart about all this and rather than reaching a point where we tell people that this, that or the next thing is bad for us, it would be better to take a positive approach and take about a proportionate approach. By that I mean that we need to enable people to strike a balance and to make good choices about food. Even junk food is food, but it really does depend whether or not it dominates or is, as I would regard it, a treat. However, it happens to be cheap and accessible and so we also need to look at the price of food and how we make food which is acknowledged to be better for us readily available.
Poverty has not diminished and arguably has increased over the last few decades. This also needs to be addressed since this is surely the lynch-pin which enables people to make choices. There is also the matter of local produce versus that which comes from overseas. Whilst one does not wish to add to the problems experienced in developing countries by not taking their produce, we need to examine this (given the environmental issues which appear to be in play here).
28 Name and address supplied
This is a copy of an email I sent to the Competition Commission regarding supermarkets planning issues. I believe passionately that the issues highlighted below are key to the success of a future Food Policy. Supermarket - an oxymoron! They are not super and they do not offer a market experience in any sense of the word. Allowing the supermarkets more freedom to move into our town centres or, worse still take the centre out of town, is short sighted planning madness. Instead please allow the planning and business rates to encourage smaller independent grocers, fish mongers, butchers, bakers, delicatessens and markets back into our town centres - surely that would bring more competition? Your organisation has expressed concern about how the supermarkets treat their suppliers and it is right that you should but how can competition between a handful of corporate giants ever do anything but stifle any real competition? A wider range of retailers would surely be more beneficial to many suppliers, who have to put up and shut up, because of a lack of outlets. In the meantime the so called "super"markets are happy to let the nation sleepwalk into a microwavable waste land of real food choice, information or knowledge with the very real health problems which have already resulted from our change in shopping and eating habits. Please, please act to bring back our thriving town centres.
29 Mary Deans
I am delighted that the Scottish Government is at last taking food and health seriously. The need for understanding of nutrition and its practical application is essential to help the population improve well being. My role as community dietitian in South East Edinburgh involves me in both therapeutic dietetics, and nutrition in the community. The staffing levels for nutrition & Dietetics in the community are farcical, considering the workload that is required. Dietitians are trained and well qualified to enable community projects and grass roots interest in food & nutrition to access reliable and scientifically proven facts.
Staff who have practical understanding of food and its effects on health are key to helping the population make appropriate changes.It is this training in enabling change which makes the Dietitians role crucial. Facts and figures are not enough to make people change. There are many short term funded projects throughout Scotland who are doing important work, but living in fear of losing funding just when results are beginning to prove the value of the project.It is this short termism which prevents good practice from being rolled out broadly.
I urge the Scottish Government to encourage Health Boards to fund nutrition & dietetics to the level recommended by the BDA. This would give equitable cover to populations across Scotland. I am involved in advising people who are undernourished as well as those who are overweight. The costs to Scotland from those who are malnourished is largely hidden. Dietitians are again key to helping these folk back to full strength.
30 Dave Buchanan, Elgin, Moray
Scotland's produce is amongst the finest in the world! Having been a professional chef for 12 years working in some of Scotland and the world's top hotels, restaurants and resorts I can only agree whole-heartedly with what the Government is trying to do. The main focus however, needs to be on education and educating the public. Teaching children about healthy eating should be highly commended, but you must also provide them with the necessary skills to transfer their classroom learning to the home. For children who come from less priviliged backgrounds or for those with low incomes it's not so straight forward. Changing the attitudes of older people is notoriously difficult so the first step at school level is important, but it must be backed up latterly.
Fresh local produce must be encouraged further to ensure a prosperous local economy (and not to the detriment of our beautiful surroundings) and must be made accessible to the masses. Whether it be a reduced rate box scheme subsidised by the government or a fixed price set for suppliers and ensuring supermarkets do not take advantage. Supermarkets are the main cause of our nation's health problems as they provide (often) cheaper quicker alternatives suited to the modern family life of hectic, time-restricted schedules. Reducing salt, fat and sugar content in processed foods is a great idea, however it is still by far cheaper to make something from fresh than to buy a frozen, ready-made, pre-packed alternative. Clearly the health benefits are untold, but turning mince, butter, flour, milk, eggs and vegetables and herbs into lasagne for the uninitiated is not the simplest of tasks. Involving the entire family in food production is an integral part of family life.
I recall granny making dinner, only as and when the children and grand children had peeled the veg, browned the mince, chopped the herbs etc and opened the obligatory tin of tomatoes. You show me any family who operates to such a level and I may be forced to make an embarrassing apology as I have yet to see one in today's society. The breakdown of family life is no longer to be frowned upon as was previously the case. In fact having come from a broken home myself I am only too wary of the stresses and strains it puts everybody under. Latterly losing my father to alcoholism has not made my life any easier. Although it is fair to say that my own views on the subject are very stringent and being a licencee I also feel that a more continental attitude towards drinking socially and responsibly is also crucial to the success of our nation's health strategy.
We produce the world's finest whiskies and chose to drink cheaper, inferior, often sugar-loaded alternatives and cause mass riots at weekends when away from our 9-5s.
We need to encourage enterprising values in youngsters and equip them with the tools necessary for long, healthy, successful lives. The buck stops with individuals, but some of the above would maybe point the uneducated masses in a better direction... I am but one man, but my crusade for improving our nation's children's prosperity starts today!
31 Homeless Day Centre, Inverness
The Day Centre provided a cooked breakfast and two course 'evening meal' up until 2004. The food was sourced from external caterers. It was of low nutricious value, and very greasy and stodgy fare. There was very limited choice and virtually no fresh fruit or fresh vegetables. In consultation with our colleagues, it was agreed that a change was necessary to improve the diet of homeless/marginalised clients. A more balanced diet was required which could be accessed for a longer period of time during the day to reduce the need to queue.
After due consultation with clients and staff, we introduced a breakfast meal and afternoon snack system which offers a range of food which is both nutritious and varied. We now offer a range of cereals, porridge, fresh fruit and wholemeal breads. Freshly made soup is delivered every day, and the clients are very happy with the changes we have made. Contrary to popular misconception, clients did not like fatty/cholestral laden fare.
We felt that vulnerable people should not be denied the choice of food available to them. Many of our clients are not physically well, and the opportunity of having access to healthy eating, and therefore hopefully a healthier living style, is fundamental to addressing the needs of our client group.
32 Stirfresh, Arbroath - Response supplied
33 Iain Emslie
I would like to see e numbers and flavourings banned from school dinners. One of my kids has been diagnosed with ADD attention deficit disorder (has problems concentrating) and we have him on a strict organic diet and have witnessed a marked change in his behaviour (for the better) I cant explain the science behind this but since changing to organic food its like having a different wee boy (and yes I do relies that I may be getting fleeced by the shops but its my kids well-being on the line here) Some of the foods on offer at schools are just shocking something needs to be done. I am unable to let my kid eat at school due to the junk in the food. You are what you eat as they say. Please the kids.not just mine but all.
34 Iain Anderson, St Monans, Fife
On page 23 of the consultation document you highlight the opportunity for Voluntary sector & Community groups to be involved and highlight a number of options . While these are all positive and commendable, you omit perhaps one rather important option, that of actually growing your own food. While at present a minority interest, I believe the time is ripe, to actually promote this to members of the public and to the wider community sector.
There is a waiting list of 3,000 for allotments (with significant latent demand)in Scotland and in fact, there are many groups right across Scotland currently seeking land to start their own allotment sites or lobbying their local authority to increase provision.
In England , the Lottery has announced a £50million fund to support food initiatives and I would encourge the Scottish Government to consider as part of their strategy to include an incentive to community groups wishing to start up their own growing schemes. The outcomes would be good on all counts, healthwise, encouraging socialization, environmentally beneficial and indeed,good for people's pockets! On the broader aims of a national food policy, I would support all reasonable attempts to increase the consumption of local foods and the encouragement of pride in such produce.
35 Andrew McBride
I am pleased to note that you intend to encourage hotels, restaurants etc. to tell us more about the food they serve. I would urge you to go further and make it compulsory for all eating establishments to indicate which of their produce dishes are frozen or contain frozen elements eg. vegetables or chips. I would have thought that a standard menu, whether typed or written on a blackboard, could accommodate the addition of the frozen logo, much used in supermarkets, alongside individual dishes to indicate that the dish or item has been frozen and is not fresh.
Alternatively, there could be logo to indicate which items are fresh. Either way, the public deserve to know whether they are eating fresh produce or not.
36 Name and address supplied
I believe that it is essential for all government (National and Local) agencies to support and encourage local producers by requiring their catering contractors to source their ingredients as locally as possible. In particular this should apply to school and hospital catering. It is probably not widely known that PPP hospitals such as Edinburgh Royal Infirmary have been designed without kitchens for the preparation of patients' food, on the basis of catering contracts being let for provision of chilled meals from sources many hundreds of miles away! Such contracts actively exclude suppliers of fresh and wholesome produce, and are in breach of every principle of healthy eating and local economic benefit. The government must lead by example and bring an end to these disgraceful practices.
37 Name and address supplied
After taking considerable interest in this issue for many years, I am very pleased to see the Scottish Government putting forward a food policy which is rigorous in its approach and comprehensive in scope, and to be given this opportunity to comment on it.
The suggested aims set out in Part 6 are excellent. I would add to all of these the underlying need to work towards self-sufficiency in food production and supply. This is especially important since it is becoming obvious that the move into genetically modified crops for food, feed and biofuels abroad is threatening global staple food supplies and driving prices up. A related consideration is that Scotland as a very small player (we have about 0.075% of the population of the USA) and must not be allowed to be swamped by unnecessary imported goods due to inappropriate international trade agreements. On what we need to do, the following points need to be stressed:
Both the Government and Local Authorities must work towards: - providing training opportunities to the wider public in local agriculture and food production, especially those involving native crops and organic methods. - promoting urban agriculture, and food co-operatives such as shops, markets, farms and deliveries - promoting small businesses.
Regarding the vital need to educate the next generation in a healthy diet and the preparation of food, this should certainly be a focus in schools. However, in the longer term such learning will be left behind at the school gates if parents are not involved in parallel learning.
38 Name and address supplied
It is absolutely imperative that "proper" organic food is produced and sold locally and that supermarkets do not get to increase their current strangle hold on food supplies. Tax encouragement for small family enterprises' and small organic farmers/other food business's who work and think local is always best, instead of being a lazy fat nation that take the petrol station and the local "globally" driven supermarket as food supplier alternatives. Only Marks and Spencer's state clearly that NO GM or GM derivatives have been feed to their animals or used in their foods. The rest should be shamed into it. That way a healthy nation will arise.
We must develop and enhance policies that are completely contrary to the current EU's unbelievable stance on GM foods (are they mad?).No significant risk? would you eat 6 week old tomatoes? NO GM whatsoever (or GM derivatives) is the position. If you allow any percentage in food stocks, however small, the giant pharmaceutical and agro companies with massive budgets for persuading our gullible local authority and city politicians will escape legal redress. They can and will wriggle out of any legal cases that inevitably will arise. Rigorous testing and substantial fines will ensure compliance. People need to eat healthily and sustain ably and grants must be given to level the playing field such that every town in Scotland does not look like "franchise town USA" with nothing you want to eat or that has been "processed" to give them added value. Do NOT do any more testing on GM. The general public are very clear, they have had enough. Ask the corporations to be responsible globally and legislate if they don't. The only message to the Supermarkets is the language they understand hit them where it hurts.
Business will be good if you go truly green, not an advertising campaign to SAY you are. Assist the many small and medium genuinely "organic" business with tax reduction measures, set-up expenses offset against tax etc. Arrange that Scotland disposes of its organic waste and paper metal glass and other hazardous wastes like the rest of Europe..safely and easily. Tackle the huge chemical additives in everything not just foodstuffs. Encourage "Ecover" type products. Get them to change their ways to be biodegradable and NON TOXIC. Allergies SHOULD NOT kill 15 year old kids!. Reduce dependence on anti-biotics and intensive farming. Hospital costs will be cheaper.
Ensure that Supermarkets machine handle returned bottles and cans themselves as the main polluters just as ALL European supermarkets do. CHEAP food is just that. GOOD food is another thing. Encourage allotments and ensure a distribution system for all the surplus home-grown food that just goes to waste. Get them out into the "real" world and give grants to set up allotments themselves.
39 Scottish Association of Master Bakers - Response supplied
40 Name, address and response supplied - Consultation
41 Name and address supplied
This document paper covers a variety of issues and shows the importance of tackling health improvements from all angles ie consumers, retailers etc. Choice and availability of all foods, in a variety of portion sizes, in a variety of settings, will promote a culture of healthy choices. This will move the emphasis away from the negative aspects of unhealthy eating to a positive focus of healthy living. Empowering patients to make their own healthy choices will be the only way to sustain a cultural move towards healthy living.
42 Name and address supplied
The major change we should undertake is to move towards a completely plant-based diet. The UNFAO document "Livestock's Long Shadow" makes it very clear that farm animals contribute 18% of all global greenhouse gas emissions, which is twice what all forms of transport create. I notice the British medical Journal (26 Jan) is also coming round to this way of thinking. "While economists have been grappling with the resource implications of policies to tackle climate change, the public health implications of these policies have also come under scrutiny. The message this time is that they present unrivalled opportunities for improving public health.
Policies that reduce greenhouse gas emissions could also substantially reduce obesity, diabetes, heart disease, cancer, road deaths and injuries, and air pollution. Take food production for instance, which results in substantial greenhouse emissions, similar in magnitude to those from transport or industry. Livestock rearing for meat and dairy produce is a major source of emissions, including methane from enteric fermentation and carbon dioxide as a result of land clearance for cattle farming.
Polices that internalise the environmental costs of livestock production would reduce the consumption of animal products. This would help stabilise the climate, but would also-by reducing the amount of saturated fat and meat in the diet-reduce the incidence of cardiovascular disease and bowel cancer. Similar policies on other foods might decrease the consumption of the carbon intensive fats and refined sugars that are helping to fuel the obesity pandemic.
43 Name and address supplied
The public needs more information on whether imported produce is a good or a bad thing. Is is possible to have a situation where food can be air-freighted in an environmentally-sustainable way? This would provide jobs in developing countries and provide us with a wide selection of fruit and vegetables all year round. I would like to see every piece of packaging stamped or labelled with a symbol that shows what kind of packaging it is, for the purpose of recycling. On a related note, Councils should be given the funds to provide recycling facilities for all types of waste packaging, including all types of plastic and composite packaging (eg contaminated or waxed "tetra-pak" cardboard, cling film, cellophane, plastic containers with a built-in lid made from a different kind of plastic etc). I would like to remove a piece of packaging from a foodstuff and know exactly how to deal with it.
44 Katrina Bull
Moving to Edinburgh from Melbourne, Australia, I have been struck by the lack of fresh produce markets (often attached to a wholesale market in Australia). In Melbourne there is the Queen Victoria Market, the South Melbourne Market and a host of others. The markets have up to hundreds of basic stalls selling Australian fruit, vegetables, meat and seafood, as well as delicatessans, cheese shops, cafes and bakeries. Competition is fierce and a weekend outing to the markets provides seasonal produce at great prices, as well as alot of entertainment. It really brings the community out and about in support of fresh, tasty food and gets people interested in cooking from scratch.
I have also noted the absolute dearth of greengrocers, delicatessans and butchers in Edinburgh - the only option for reasonably priced fruit and vegetables is the supermarket, where trying to buy seasonal produce that has not been imported or wrapped in plastic is really difficult. My fiance and I don't eat much meat so we can afford to buy from the weekly Castle Farmer's Market when we get there (although it's quite tiny). I feel that getting a box of organic produce home delivered is the only option, but this removes the excitement and spontaneity and choice in planning meals.
I would like to see more fresh food markets around Scotland, offering an alternative to supermarkets and expensive 'boutique' stores. I think it's fantastic that the issue of food is being discussed seriously at this level - the state of everyday food for ordinary people in Scotland is absolutely parlous.
45 Margaret Tracey-Bower
I listened to Nick Nairns Video and agree that we have wonderful food being produced here in Scotland but much of it is expensive and a lot exported! Recently my husband bought two brace of pheasants in a local (not farmers) market. He had to defeather and gut them himself which he has done on previous occasions and is capable of this. We paid £1.50 a brace - £3 for 4 birds which produced 12 generous meals. I am not suggesting that the general public at large has either the access to the market or the ability to 'clean' the birds but I did very recently see one pheasant prepared and ready for the pot at a cost of £4.50.
Schools no longer teach their pupils how to cook and have not done this for some time, the subject is not 'academic' enough to gain entry to university! Cooking is fun and good for everybody, home cooking is better that any supermarket offering. We need to educate whole families into co-operating and enjoying being in the kitchen and that no one person (Mum) is left to do the lot and frequnetly have a job outside the home as well. My 3 year old grandchild can be left to get on with 6 eggs to crack into a bowl and beat up for scrambled egg. Assist in cake making and putting together vegetables for a casserole and she thinks its fun.
We used to have cookery programmes on TV for children I still possess both the Blue Peter Cookbook and The Fun Factory along with some other less famous books. Let's start with the children and I'm sure we can put the situation right. Good food should be available at a price people can pay!
46 Grounds for learning, Alloa
One of the best ways to teach children about healthy food is to give them an experience of actually growing, harvesting, cooking and eating it themselves. Grounds for Learning is the Scottish school grounds charity and has successfully piloted the creation of school growing spaces in 8 schools - at nursery, primary and secondary level accross 4 local authorities.
The learning from this project has been used to create a CPD training course for teachers who are interested in setting up school growing areas and a resource box of helpful publications and information. We have also established a network of around 20 trained and accredited school growing advisors across Scotland who would be able to provide schools with the bespoke technical support that they need. We have shown the value of this approach, learned how to do it effectively in a Scottish context and put in place the advisory framework to make it accessible to schools across Scotland.
But nothing further is going to happen unless funding is made available to help schools through the provision of technical advice from this national advisory network. The cost of tools, seeds and other materials for growing is fairly minimal and can often be met from within school budgets - the main constraint is the cost of professional advice and support.
The consultation document is wrong to claim that Eco-schools supports schools in food growing. Eco-schools has little or no interest in food growing and has no capacity to provide schools with individually tailored advice in this area. If the Scottish Government is serious about promoting healthy eating and a better understanding of where our food comes from then it needs to put in place a mechanism to support schools in this area.
Grounds for learning has over a decade of experience in this field and a national network of advisors ready to offer frontline food-growing support to schools and nurseries. SNH provide us with around 16% of our funding and the rest we need to find from the corporate, lottery and trust sectors. We have no other government funding to help make this expertise available to schools.
If you would like to find out more about this area and how we could help the Scottish Government to turn these laudible aspirations into reality then please get in touch. We are a little sceptical about how genuinely interested the Government is and will be surprised if we hear from you. Go on - prove us wrong!
47 Name and address supplied
I would like to see a big boost to free range meat and eggs, and organic dairy produce. Britain claims to have high animal welfare standards. But we have a long way to go before we can live up to that. Let's be a world leader.
48 Name, address and response supplied - Confidential
49 Name, address and response supplied - Confidential
50 Clare Horisk
Encouraging people to think local eat local can only be beneficial in terms of Scottish producers and the environment. Trying to keep the costs low so that all of society can enjoy fresh healthy food has to be a main consideration. A bag of frozen chips and some coke is often cheaper than a punnet of raspberries - hard for those on a low income. Encouraging the supermarkets to carry local produce like the milk in tescos from local providers should be another consideration as should the reduction of packaging.
51 Name and address supplied
This government's policies on conserving stocks are in the main deplorable but not of their making at the same time it should be recognised that fishermen only live for the day other wise the fishing industry would not be in the situation it is in to day, west coast white fish stocks are practically finished due to the removing of the 3 mile limit, and the belief that west coast sea lochs were not nurseries for small fish.
52 Louisa Brown
Cut drinking hours More specialist gym/games teachers/coaches in school food - Need to have more honest labeling: products advertised as 'low fat' are often very high in sugar and vice versa. No added sugar - but lots of artificial sweetners which have health consequences too. fat content info - is it correct that if label says fat free there are no restrictions on fat content? (programme on TV which I missed)Not sure of my facts here but they uncovered a loophole in package labelling that needs to be addressed. compulsory home economics classes for all children primary - secondary and 'real' healthy meals free cookery classes for adults with free child care subsidise healthy food and higher taxes on unhealthy 'Honey, we're killing the kids' type community/school projects - Real help/support for at risk families Advertising/programs that promote health above material posessions give incentives to supermarkets to stock local produce and get fair deals for farmers. Support local produce markets Subsidies/incentives for companies who produce truly healthy products - government endorsements? free fruit and veg/healthy snack for all primary school children and NURSERy children free school meals for all industry - if we get people to live longer healthier lives they will be able to afford products and also have more years to buy them. free leisure centres/activity clubs - cash incentives to parents who take children regularly cash incentives/extra holidays for workers who have less than .....days off work per year
53 Name and address supplied
Very interesting discussion document but nothing in it about supporting the ordinary people who wish to grow food in their gardens and allotments. Growing your own food makes people more aware of seasonal food, quality of produce and ways to cook vegetables and fruit. Children will eat vegetables they have grown and so learn to enjoy good food. In this way, awareness and educated tastes will feed back into the food chain and help fulfill the governments objectives.
The local economy would also expand through supplying seeds, plants, bulbs, fruit bushes and fruit trees. Many more people would grow food for themselves and their families if they had the opportunity to garden and help in acquiring the relevant skills.There is a great opportunity for skills training involving trained horticultural experts and chefs working with ordinary people, families and schools.
Please consult groups such as the Scottish Allotments and Gardens Society, the Royal Caledonian Horticultural Society, RBGE, FCFCG, BTCV, Grounds for Learning, Trellis for ways in which gardeners can contribute to the National Food Policy.
54 Nuffield Council on Bioethics
In November 2007 the Nuffield Council on Bioethics published Public health: ethical issues, which considers the ethical and social issues arising when designing measures to improve public health, illustrating the discussion by reference to case studies, including that of obesity, which raises a number of issues around food and food policy. The report can be downloaded from http://www.nuffieldbioethics.org/go/ourwork/publichealth/introduction.
The Council concluded that the state has a duty to help people lead a healthy life and to reduce inequalities. It proposes a 'stewardship model' (see paragraphs 2.41-2.45), which outlines how this can be justified and achieved, and an 'intervention ladder' (see paragraphs 3.37-3.38) as a way of thinking about the acceptability of different public health measures.
We are pleased to see the emphasis on health and your reference to obesity as a priority issue in The Future of Food in Scotland. We support in particular your principles of "encouraging and supporting people to make healthier food choices" and "helping vulnerable people and those on lowest incomes, especially pregnant women, babies and young children, and older people, to access affordable healthy food". These principles are consistent with the values established in our stewardship model. Below, we draw your attention to several conclusions and recommendations from Public health: ethical issues that are relevant to food policy.
The quotes include paragraph numbers which refer to the extended discussion in the report. "Businesses, including the food industry, have an ethical duty to help individuals to make healthier choices. The food and drink industries should therefore review both the composition of products that they manufacture and the way they are marketed and sold. Where the market fails to uphold its responsibility, for instance in failing to provide universal, readily understandable front-of-pack nutrition labelling or in the marketing of food more generally, regulation by the government is ethically justifiable" (paragraph 5.25). "Due to the special vulnerability of children it would be desirable not to advertise to children foods high in fat, salt and sugar by any medium, including on the Internet… Following the planned review of the EU Strategy on obesity in 2010, the European Commission should consider whether there are cases in which self-regulation of food advertising for children has proved unsatisfactory and whether more binding regulation across the EU is required" (paragraph 5.23). "When the Food Standards Agency (FSA) has reviewed its commissioned study on the effectiveness of labelling schemes, and the findings have been peer reviewed, they should form the basis for adoption by the food industry of the most effective scheme.
If, however, the food industry does not accept the scheme, it would be appropriate for the UK Government to pursue legislation (if appropriate, at the European level). As we have noted elsewhere, such information-based schemes could increase health inequalities, and this should be monitored" (paragraph 5.25). "The stewardship model's emphasis on circumstances that help people to lead healthy lives, especially if they are in vulnerable positions (paragraphs 2.41-2.44), leads to an ethical justification for the state to intervene in schools to achieve a more positive culture towards food, cooking and physical activity. […] The UK Government departments responsible for food, health and education should develop long-term strategies for schools with the aim of preventing obesity, and changing food and exercise culture, accompanied by monitoring and follow up." (paragraph 5.36)
55 Maureen Stewart
I think we should be starting to move towards more sensible localised sustainability with food. I think if out-of-season food is available through shipping/flying it in from vast distances that we like having it but most of us do not 'demand' it. It is much better to have food available when it is seasonal as we are getting so removed from the natural order of the seasons now. I think there should be a tax put on food that is not seasonal so that if folk are desperate to have out of season food they can have it but at a cost.
Doing more to support localised farmers markets is something many people would agree with. Buying locally grown and produced food is a way for us all to support our local economy. If we value our local area and appreciate living in it we should do all we can to support local enterprise. With the massive increases in transport costs it is ridiculous to continue to move food around unnecessarily. I live in Shetland where we have a large, localised supply of lamb but you still sometimes see New Zealand lamb in the supermarkets. To me that is plainly wrong.
Cutting down on unnatural and unnecessary additives is another move I think we should support in Scotland. I believe that many of the increasing problems with allergies comes from food additives. Polution is obviously the main contributer but I think there are massive hidden digestinal and other health problems created by unnatural additives in food. Some have been recognised and dealt with but there is still a lot of work to do on that.
However, I think that we should not go overboard with pushing the healthy eating campaign. Gradual changes across the board works better. Banning all junk food in and around schools just alienates children. They just end up craving the foods they have had brutally taken away. Much better to gradually exchange the junk food with more healthy options - perhaps they could be subsidised for a time to persuade youngsters to choose the healthy option rather than forcing the 'choice' on them. None of us like to be dictated to. If good quality and varied options of fresh fruit were as accessible as sweets and chocolate (but you are given a choice) more people would choose them.
56 Name, address and response supplied - Confidential
57 Name, address and response supplied - Confidential
58 Milan Senior Welfare Organisation, Edinburgh - Response supplied
59 The Moray Council - Environmental Protection - Response supplied
60 Name and address supplied
I am at present researching the healthy food needs of the homelessness. How to give them advice on Healthy food when there lives are chaotic enough. I am trying to identify a strategy to put in place for a homeless unit that is a day to day bed basis. The clients change regular. How would you promote healthy Eating to them without leaflets, brochures which realistically will not be read. As we know health eating makes you physically and mentally stronger which can help deal with life issues better I am not sure how to advise on this and where to apply for funding.
61 Name, address and response provided - Confidential
62 Andrew McLean
I agree with the ambitious vision. I was hoping that there would be a specific mention of schools in the section "What do we all need to do?" Schools can help shape young peoples views and have an important role to play. I would like to see the specific role of schools to highlighted. When are the Scottish office going to publish the curriculum for excellence outcomes for Home Economics?
63 Linda Martin
The education of people to make the correct choices of food and diet is fundamental, but it is also essential that skills are taught so that everyone can prepare and cook food that is nourishing. I have been a Home Economics teacher for 36 years and although I have had a great deal of satisfaction from the job, it has been a struggle to convince those in charge of education of the merits of all pupils learning the subject. Scotland has kept Home Economics on the curriculum but has failed to support the teachers and departments.
We are under funded in terms of time and resources and there are no auxiliary staff allocated to Glasgow Home Economics Departments so teachers have to organise resources, pre-prepare ingredients, demonstrate and conduct practical tasks and clean up after pupils - who generally are taught in blocks of about 50 minutes. There is no provision made for any of these non-teaching tasks to be done by trained technicians. HE teachers are a dwindling species that must not be allowed to become extinct. Pupils are engaged with the subject and highly motivated to learn and cooking brings with it so many bonuses - reading and interpreting instructions, adding and working out basic maths, problem solving, making instant judgements and so much more. Learning to cook at school, with teachers who are able to concentrate on teaching skills and techniques would make a massive difference to the health of the Scottish nation. Schools in England gave up their food departments and are now trying to re-instate them. This will be a very difficult task and will need more than trained teachers and some cash for ingredients to bring it back to success. Don't let Scotland go the same way.
There is a chronic shortage of teachers of Home Economics in Glasgow and recently students have been accepted for training without a practical food background so they are unable to cope with the demands of the curriculum. Many teachers are leaving because the schools expect them to do all the admin. connected to a subject which requires resourcing weekly, all the preparation before lessons so that pupils do an assembly job in the limited time they have and keep standards of Hygiene and Safety at the required standard. Classes are 20 and include all levels of ability and behaviour.
I truly believe that school pupils can be given a good basic training in Nutrition and Food choices and can learn practical skills which will help them to provide themselves and their families with good quality meals in the future, but there must be understanding of how the subject fits into the curriculum and it should be a core subject, not one that can be squeezed to insignificance by an unenlightened Head Teacher.
64 Margaret McDonald
I am a Home Economics teacher at an Aberdeenshire school. I believe that all S. 1 and S.2 pupils should have practical cookery on their curriculum. Emphasis should be put on healthy eating, using Scottish produce, if available. A range of foods should be available and good accommodation provided. My experience is that accommodation is often old, in poor condition, with floors, walls and ceilings, inadequately cleaned. Insufficient is done to maintain the standards expected by adults and young people. The kitchen equipment is often worn, with cookers etc. needing replaced. These conditions do not attract young people to carry on with the subject after S.2.
Local authorities do not have the budget to improve conditions or subsidise food. In my experience the local authority expects food costs to be paid by parents so each pupil has to pay a termly or annual payment. Obviously the cooked food goes home with the pupil but may not reach home looking as appetising as when it left school! Teachers are following storage rules and providing labels with use by date and re-heating instructions so food, cooked at school should be safe. In addition the food is procured by the school and stored appropriately until practical cookery takes place. Some parents resent paying for practical cookery as they believe that education should be free. Others find it hard, due to their circumstances to pay and may simply not pay. Therefore due to these factors some schools find the problem of funding the subject almost impossible and may resort to more baking and less cooking with quality meat, fish, fruit and vegetables.
The present rising costs of food mean that many H. E. departments will have to set higher charges for parents in 2008 - 2009. Cooking from scratch rather than with convenience foods is recommended but due to time restrictions in the curriculum, a pupil may well only spend 50 minutes in Home Economics. An adult may be able to produce a range of home cooked recipes in the time but in a mixed ability class of 20, 12 year olds and 1 teacher, realistically the dishes which can be cooked are limited.
Few Home Economics teachers are training in Scotland and some schools cannot recruit a Home Economics teacher to fill a vacant post. Some S.1 and S.2 pupils in Scotland will not be taught food skills due to this staffing crisis. Despite all these problems, some excellent work is being done to educate our young people in storing, preparing, cooking and eating healthily!
65 Tracey Moynihan, Irvine
I think there is so much good food work happening already with cooking skills groups, local schools using local produce, food co-ops selling cheaper fruit and vegetables, free fruit in schools and nurseries, free school meals pilots............yet some very vunerable groups still need our input like the homeless, excluded kids, low-income families and so many local initiatives rely on short-term funding. We need these pieces of work to be mainstreamed especially community food work......its invaluable to teach folk to cook in their own communities and have workers to do this.........some areas in Ayrshire have them and some don't but the same needs are out there. Ayrshire in parts is very rural and food access for some folk is an issue.
Food co-ops with community cafes would play a great part in helping folk eat healthier by allowing them access to cheaper fruit, veg and staples. Local farms could supply these and local folk could run them.
66 Eleanor Campbell
Teaching young children to cook and helping them learn about taste and nutrition at a young age" is important but what is really vital is that children in secondary school are facilitated to cook at school. Secondary schools have Home Economics Departments and Home Economics teachers trying to do the best they can on limited finances. In my school we do not charge children to cook but that is a practice that is condoned all over the country. Why should children pay to cook?
If government financed Home Economics departments directly that could be eliminated. Presently I spend alot of my own time shopping as we cannnot afford to shop from wholesalers as it is too costly. With better funding we could increase the use of quality local produce plus use much more fruit and vegetables in appetising dishes.
However I do not think that cooking should be compulsory except for S1 and S2 as older pupils forced to do something could be very disruptive to those who genuinely have an interest in food and health.
67 Fife Diet
Congratulations on your efforts in this area. We are a year long experiment in local eating, and have over 200 people taking part in the project that asks people to eat food only from Fife for a year, and share their experiences.
This is essentially a research project and our experience is that there is a latent demand for local food but that the following factors combine against easy acess: 1) Poor availablility of local food. 2) Irregularity of Farmers Markets which desperately need improvement and development 3) Fractured links between - for example - fishing villages and wider communities. Why is it so hard to buy fish landed in Fife, in Fife? 4) Need to improve bottling and packaging - for example Bouvrage - a lovely drink of Scottish raspberries - has to be bottled out of the country.
http://fifediet.wordpress.com/
68 Tom Findlay
At long last I am delighted to see that some thought is going into the health of our nation from the perspective of what we eat and how we produce it. I hope that this will eventually lead to a decrease in health care costs from food related illness and consequently reduce the tax burden on us all.
There is, however, one glaring omission from the discussion document; house building. There is huge pressure to build more and more houses. The house builders want easy sites ie green field sites that are flat because these will give them the least head-aches and the highest margins. These sites are also usually our best and most highly productive farming land. Within our food policy we need to alter the planning requirements to encourage building on the poorer/steeper/brownfield land and leave the rest to farming and flood plain.
If, with luck, a new food policy is created which re-establishes the Scottish farming industry as one of great importance we may well find that previously uneconomical land will be brought back into production which will in turn require more input from the timber trades for fences, the agricultural machinery trade for newer equipment and the transport industry to transfer goods to market and not least more rural employment - all beneficial to the wider economy.
A second point that has been slightly glossed over is that of food miles. Home production saves the planet. Importing potatoes from Egypt may well help the Egyptian farmer but his land is neither suited to that crop without huge irrigation nor does it help with CO2 reduction. In the above case we are denuding a dry part of the world of water all for the sake of 20p off the cost of 1kg of potatoes but at what cost to our planet. Finally, bottled water. Scotland has some of the purest, cleanest water in Europe yet we readily import thousands of tonnes of water every month for no discernable benefit. Transporting water by lorry is vastly expensive and for us pointless. Again here the major issue is one of greenhouse gases and the impact on the planet.
69 Name and address supplied
I would really like to see foods containing Hydrogenated Fats being banned in Scotland. Tesco, Marks and Sparks, Sainsbury's etc have banned these fats from all their own brand products. Our bodies find these fats very difficult to break down, and they are linked with the rise in heart attacks, strokes etc. If the big supermarket chains have banned them, it is because they fear they are associated with health risks. Why are we allowing our population to eat this rubbish? The only reason manufacturers use hydrogenated fats is to increase the shelf life of their products, ie it allows us to eat older food. I can go into a Supermarket and buy an own-brand cake and be assured there is none of this rubbish inside it. But if I go into my local bakers, I don't know what it contains. If a complete ban isn't practical, I'd like to see big health warnings on these products when they are sold in Scotland, just like on cigarettes.
70 Name and address supplied
Although I now live in Ireland, I was born and raised in Scotland and still very much consider myself a Scots woman. When, on occasion I am at home visiting relatives, I cannot help but notice how uttely devoid of "edible greenery" the towns and cities are. There are large green recreation parks and golf courses galore, but not a jot to eat in these areas. For example apple trees, fruit bushes and hedges, etc. After all if grass and lawn will grow, there are undoubtedly shrubs, trees and vegetables which could be planted and with just a little minding, would then produce fresh fruits and vegetables. Are we to be a nation of grass cutters and golfers?
Would it not make more sense for the new Scottish Government to make moneys available for greener edible park schemes? Such a program would not be difficult to set up and if local children were invited to participate via their schools it would demonstrate to them exactly where food comes from - as they would be growing it! Its a cliche, but children are our future and with the problem of over fed but under nourished wee ones and even big ones, the time has come to weed out the misconception that food "comes fae safeway". Children as young as 3 can sow a plastic container (free from safeway with most fresh produce)with a bit of soil and some cress seeds or a jam jar with sprouting beans. Older children can grow lettuces in the same containers in summer on a sunny school window ledge. This connection between ourselves and the soil has sadly been lost and it can and should be regained and the simplest place to start is in our schools. If kids are out in the parks helping to plant trees and shrubs (that will reward them with a bounty of apples or pears or blueberrys), then they are not hanging about on street corners making old ladies nervous.
Instead of having an expanse of concrete or tarmac around our schools, would it not be better to have edible vegetable and herb gardens, tended to partly by the pupils. I would in fact advocate that a working knowledge of how to provide yourself with '5 a day grown your way' should be part of the national curriculum. It would certainly be of more use to children when they become adults and then parents themselves than algebra, as they would be able to provide themselves and their family with a certain amount of the freshest produce.
Growing nutritious food is possible anywhere on any scale from the smallest window box (lettuces, cherry tomatoes, various oriental greens and many of the herbs) to the largest park, where the sky is the limit, as polytunnels will even allow you to grow peaches in summer. Im almost sure that there must be organic farms in Scotland that would be able to assist in luring our youth away from the bus shelters and chippies and into parks and gardens.
One of particular interest is here in Ireland at The Organic Centre, it really is a marvel and would undoubtedly be able to advise anyone interested in installing gardens in areas where there were previously none. Look under the tarmac in the playground you will find soil down there somewhere. Why keep it covered when it can be of more use to our nation if it is planted? The bare brick and concrete walls of our schools can be used to grow trained fruit trees and peas and beans and much tastier things than grafiti and moss. Gardening and food production should not be a pastime for just little old ladies and farmers or those who live in rural areas, but for everyone, regardless of age, occupation or habituation. It just takes someone with the interest to show you the miracle of how things grow. If our teachers could start the ball rolling, our children and consequently our adults of times to come would have a greener, better nourished future.
With our culture of canniness regards finances, it would encourage people and even businesses to plant roof gardens and window boxes in the towns and cities if there were financial incentives to do so. Perhaps with a small reduction in council tax. This would also have the knock on effect of improving our air quality. We should be making use of all this available space and stop wasting it, its there waiting to be put to good use! A packet of broccolli seeds with 30 seeds costs a few pennies and can provide you with enough of that particular vegetable to feed a family for a year, whereas enough broccolli for one meal costs the same amount, if not more in the supermarket. Few people realise this is the case and think you need huge amounts of space and money to grow things. I have been successfully growing brocolli for my family in a half barrel for the last year, so you dont need much room at all. Housing developers are of particular interest to me as they seem to have no regard for providing tenants or owner occupiers with any amount of space in which to grow food for themselves. This should change (with either carrot or stick method regarding the developers) to give provision of viable areas to plant vegetables and the like.
I recently read that a family of four can produce enough to give each of them 5 a day from a space of only 3 square meters! Surely we can find this for our families? If we are serious about changing the health of our nation for the better there are simple, not even particularly costly steps we can take to do so, but its impotant to get started coz time is a'wastin!
I have witnessed success with gardening in towns and cities in other countries in Europe. On the doorsteps of many apartment blocks in France and Italy small areas outside the building are fenced off and planted with climbing flowers or beans or even tomatoes. Just think of all that available wall space! I realise that my ideas even if taken onboard are not of any particular commercial value to the Scottish Government but if we could change the buildings in the city to greener areas it would definitely make them more attractive, just look at the roof gardens in Paris.
I believe such schemes could also have success in our prisons. I do hope that Scotland has a great nutritious future ahead of it. With great hope for the people of Bonny Scotland!
71 Ella Drinks, Alloa
I have a small business called Ella Drinks which makes juice from Scottish raspberries, a brand called Bouvrage. My experience derives from trying to sell a healthy, low sugar high fruit drink in an industry full of deceptive products in a country which shouts about its primary produce but eats a diet high in fat, sugar and salt and which consumes far too much alcohol for its own good.
Farmers markets have been extremely important in our development and will be important for the future too. We attend markets across Scotland from Aberdeen to Glasgow.
Although Scottish farmers markets started 8 years ago as a method for Scottish producers to get their products to consumers while cutting out the middle men,
Scottish Farmers Market movement are the focus for the ambition to get local food to local people
It is more than just a market each Saturday in every town; it is a means to get local food in front of local people in all parts of the food experience of people.
Not just for the special occasion, not just for the better off but
- to improve fundamentally the FOOD CULTURE of Scotland
and thereby
- to improve the health of people via education and promotion
- to improve the environment via encouragement of a low energy lifestyle
- to boost the local economy, keep money in the local economy,
both for townspeople and country people.
Over the last 30 years there has been a growing gulf between towns and government sponsored farming with one side not understanding the other. Towns need to rediscover their rural hinterlands since both have been the worse off by their artificial separation.
- town centres have become clones of each other
- out of town supermarkets are run by the multiples with their 'cheap' imports and exploited workforces at home and abroad and based around the car
- factory farms are depopulated and mechanised
- the lack of ownership by local people of land and the businesses of food processing, banking and retailing have been a major disincentive to local food producers
Bad for the local economy, for the environment, for people's sense of belonging to an area and for their diet.
Now we need a change of mindset on behalf of everyone especially councils and farmers to be able to cope with a future quite different from the past.
The Future is going to be driven by the high cost of energy. The development of IT means we can be a more de-centralised society with less inefficient journeys. We will be more networked and we will have to be cooperative to live in harmony with Nature better. Ultimately a decline in the traditional economy based on food and services devised to cope with pressured lifestyles will be balanced by an expansion in the household economy (minimise use of new resources, self-sufficiency in energy). The goal will be sustainable consumption (and not unimpeded growth) which will bring rea