| Primary
Producers |
| 1. Action
should be taken to stimulate Scottish consumer demand for
fruit and vegetables by means of innovative,
developmental initiatives and imaginative marketing
campaigns. Scottish Enterprise consulting, where
appropriate, with The Scottish Office Agriculture,
Environment and Fisheries Department, the relevant
horticulture producers' organisations, the National
Farmers' Union of Scotland, the multiple food retailers
and the Health Education Board for Scotland, should
continue their work in this area with the Scottish
Vegetable Working Group and the Scottish Soft Fruit
Growers in order that the doubling of fruit and vegetable
consumption, the single most important dietary target,
can be achieved (paragraph 2.9). |
| 2. The
Scottish Office Agriculture, Environment and Fisheries
Department, in consultation with the Agricultural and
Biological Research Institutes, the National Farmers'
Union of Scotland, and the Meat and Livestock Commission,
should press forward the breeding of still leaner
livestock for human consumption (paragraph 2.10). |
| 3. A
co-ordinated strategy should be developed by meat
producers, with the assistance of the Meat and Livestock
Commission, to develop new low fat meat products which
can be promoted collectively by retailers, by purchasing
authorities in the public sector, by health alliances and
by the Health Education Board for Scotland (paragraph
2.11). |
| 4. The dairy
industry should explore alternative non-food markets for
butter fat (paragraph 2.13). |
| 5. The Sea
Fish Industry Authority and the Scottish Salmon Board, in
conjunction with the Health Education Board for Scotland,
should work with the Scottish Seafood Project to help
stimulate consumer demand for oil rich fish. (paragraphs
2.14, 2.15). |
| |
| Manufacturers
and Processors |
| 6. Companies
which manufacture weaning and infant foods should work
towards products which are free of, or low in, non milk
extrinsic sugars. Catering and retailing organisations
can help the manufacturing and processing sector in this
by making joint decisions on nutritional specification to
provide commercially viable outlets for new products of
high nutritional quality (paragraph 3.6). |
| 7. The
training provision offered by SCOTVEC and Industry
Training Groups should be extended to include nutritional
training for the food manufacturing, processing and
bakery industries (paragraph 3.8). |
| 8. The food
manufacturing and processing industries should
investigate how new technologies can specifically
facilitate the manufacture of existing and new food
products which are low in fat, salt and sugar,
consulting, as appropriate, with recognised sources of
expertise and research advice in this area (paragraph
3.10). |
| 9. The food
manufacturing, processing and bakery industries, in
consultation with the retail sector and recognised
sources of expertise and research advice in this area,
should introduce small but progressive reductions in the
fat, salt and sugar content of manufactured and processed
foods and of bakery products; and in the sugar content of
non-diet versions of soft drinks (paragraphs 3.2, 3.10). |
| 10. The food
manufacturing and processing industries, in consultation
with the retail sector and recognised sources of
expertise and research advice in this area, should
develop a wider range of products containing those
commodities of which an increase in consumption is
required, in particular fruit and vegetables, the complex
carbohydrates and oil rich fish. Steps to encourage
product development using oil rich fish should be taken
by the Sea Fish Industry Authority, together with the
Scottish Seafood Project (paragraphs 3.10, 3.15). |
| 11. The food
manufacturing and processing industries, consulting as
appropriate with recognised sources of expertise and
research in this area, should consider how best to
facilitate, by audit and other means, a reduction in the
fat content of existing products to help achieve the
dietary fat targets (paragraph 3.12). |
| 12. Industry and trade
organisations, such as the Confederation of British
Industry (Scotland), the Potato Marketing Board and the
Meat and Livestock Commission, should explore with
companies how to bring benefit to their sector by joint
activities to improve the commercial opportunities
derived from nutritionally improved products (paragraph
3.15). |
| 13. As far as is
practicable within current legal constraints, the
manufacturing and processing industries should ensure
that the information about the composition, and also the
nutritional values, of their food products provided on
labelling, and at point of sale and in promotional
material, is presented in ways which facilitate the
public's understanding of these values (paragraphs 3.16,
3.17). |
| |
| The Retail Sector |
| 14. In view of the
crucial and decisive role of the multiple food retailers
operating in Scotland, identified by the Action Group, in
improving the diet of the Scottish people, The Scottish
Office should take steps to bring together these
retailers to consult and to consider with them how best
to effect their potential contribution, including the
opportunities for them to deliver a much wider range of
healthier food products (paragraph 4.7.4). |
| 15. Supermarkets should
further develop innovative ways, including in-store
initiatives, of marketing healthy products to consumers.
An holistic and consistent approach is vital. (paragraphs
4.7.5, 4.7.6, 4.7.7). |
| 16. Supermarkets should
ensure that the labelling of "own brand"
products sold in their stores provides easily understood
information on product composition and nutritional value
to enable consumers to make healthy food choices
(paragraph 4.7.8) |
| 17. Supermarkets should
examine, in consultation with the proposed national
project officer, the feasibility of measures, such as
free, or low cost, transport, to facilitate access to
their stores by low income consumers within the
community. They should also consider, with low income
communities, the development of alternative ways in which
the healthy food products available in supermarkets could
be made more readily available to these communities
(paragraph 4.7.10). |
| 18. The Scottish Office
Department of Health should explore with the major
multiple food retailers the scope for access to their
electronic point of sale (EPOS) information to facilitate
the monitoring and evaluation of the various initiatives
being undertaken to improve the Scottish diet. Further
potential advantages provided by loyalty card data should
also be investigated. (paragraph 4.7.13). |
| |
| Community Action |
| 19. Directors of Public
Health should designate individuals on the staff of their
Health Boards, who have training in nutrition, with
specific responsibility for action to improve the diet of
the low income communities in their areas (paragraph
5.12). |
| 20. Research should be
undertaken into the diet of rural communities to provide
a basis from which to develop a specific strategy to
support these communities. This research should be
related to the work of the Health Education Board for
Scotland on community initiatives (paragraph 5.13). |
| 21. A national project
officer should be appointed under the auspices of the
Scottish Consumer Council to promote and focus dietary
initiatives within low income communities and to bring
these within a strategic framework. Resources should be
made available by The Scottish Office to fund this post,
to support innovative local projects and to sustain and
extend successful, effective initiatives (paragraph
5.14). |
| 22. The role of the
national project officer should be to pursue a strategic
approach to tackling the problems of people living on a
low income, including a responsibility to gather and
disseminate information on community initiatives and good
practice; to develop ideas for new initiatives; to
identify the development potential of existing community
action such as food co-operatives; to identify training
needs; to work with the retail sector to identify
opportunities for action; and to encourage dialogue
between Health Boards and local authorities about a
strategic approach to food within their areas (paragraph
5.14). |
| 23. Local community
initiatives must continue to be taken, building on the
experience gained from the projects funded by The
Scottish Office and tapping into community energy and
expertise. The health alliances now established in every
Health Board area should continue and expand their recent
work with the disadvantaged (including rural) areas,
stimulating, supporting and synergising community
activity. (paragraph 5.14). |
| 24. Local authorities
should consider the dietary needs of their respective
populations when developing strategies for regenerating
their deprived areas. The Chief Medical Officer for
Scotland should pursue this in the course of his
discussions on public health matters with representatives
of the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities.
(paragraph 5.15). |
| |
| Pregnancy,
Pre-School Children and School Students |
| 25. The Health Education
Board for Scotland and Health Boards should ensure that
their health promotion activity includes regular
campaigns to alert potential parents of the need for good
nutrition prior to, as well as during pregnancy
(paragraph 6.3). |
| 26. GPs, obstetricians,
nurses, midwives and health visitors should provide
dietary information to expectant mothers about their own
nutritional needs as well as those of their babies. It
will be important to ensure that this information and
advice is tailored to meet the individual needs of
expectant mothers. Health Boards should monitor the
quality of the information so provided (paragraphs 6.3,
6.4, 6.5). |
| 27. The education sector,
the Health Education Board for Scotland and Health Boards
jointly should examine the potential to include, at
relevant points in the curriculum, material on the
benefits of breastfeeding in order to inform pupils
(paragraph 6.9). |
| 28. Health Boards should
continue to encourage the achievement of local
breast-feeding targets and to promote with hospitals the
breast-feeding criteria specified by the World Health
Organisation and UNICEF as appropriate to a "Baby
Friendly Hospital" (paragraph 6.12). |
| 29. In order to address
the cultural and societal issues which influence women's
willingness to breastfeed the Health Education Board for
Scotland should identify the action required to encourage
a more sympathetic attitude by the general public towards
breastfeeding (paragraph 6.15). |
| 30. The Scottish Office
Department of Health, through the Chief Pharmacist,
should identify the action necessary to accelerate
introduction of low or sugar free paediatric medicines
(paragraph 6.19). |
| 31. Health Boards and
local authorities should ensure that health professionals
and residential and day care staff with care
responsibilities for children under five have a working
knowledge of the dietary and nutritional needs of young
children and that they put such knowledge to practical
effect. In this context local authorities, in
consultation with the Care Sector Consortium should
ensure that, in relation to their care responsibilities,
the standards and competencies for Scottish Vocational
Qualifications in care recognise this requirement
(paragraph 6.20). |
| 32. Health Boards should
encourage health professionals who work with small
children, in particular health visitors, to provide
dietary and nutritional advice and guidance to the
parents of children under five years of age. Local
authorities should similarly encourage staff in nurseries
and playgroups and childminders (paragraph 6.20). |
| 33. Special initiatives
to encourage children under five years of age to eat
healthily should be explored by local authorities,
including the value of employing the services of home
economists and/or dietitians to provide advice and
support on diet and nutritional matters to families with
young children (paragraph 6.21). |
| 34. The Scottish Office
should consider, with local authorities, the development
of national dietary guidelines which day carers in the
independent and voluntary sectors should be encouraged to
adopt. The establishment of good dietary practice should
be an important component of the annual inspection
procedures. HM Inspectors of Schools should give due
weight to the requirement on applicants under the
pre-school education voucher scheme to demonstrate an
appropriate appreciation of the dietary and nutritional
needs of the children in their care. (paragraph 6.22). |
| 35. The Scottish Office
Education and Industry Department and local authorities
should continue working to raise the profile of health
education within the curriculum. The Department should
vigorously encourage development of policies on health
education, including nutrition and diet, and the
progression of these through school development planning.
These should be monitored, evaluated and reported upon by
local authorities through their quality assurance
procedures and by the Scottish Office Education and
Industry Department through HM Inspectors of Schools
(paragraphs 6.23, 6.24, 6.25). |
| 36. The Scottish Office
Education and Industry Department should draw the
attention of School Board chairpersons to the Action
Plan, its targets and the benefits sought for children's
health. The Scottish Office Education and Industry
Department should also utilise the School Boards News as
a vehicle for developing dietary awareness within schools
(paragraph 6.23). |
| 37. The Scottish Office
Education and Industry Department should consider
distributing to education authorities and self governing
and independent schools the advisory material produced by
the Guidelines for Educational Materials Project Team of
the Nutrition Task Force in England and such guidelines
as the Health Education Board for Scotland prepare to
assist production of consistent diet and nutrition
related materials (paragraph 6.24). |
| 38. The Scottish
Consultative Council on the Curriculum, working with The
Scottish Office Education and Industry Department, should
introduce a short course on practical food preparation
for healthy eating for all pupils post S2. This course
should be supported by nationally produced materials and
resources (paragraph 6.25). |
| 39. The Scottish Office
Education and Industry Department should ensure that all
trainee teachers receive adequate training in health
education, including nutrition and diet, appropriate to
their course (paragraph 6.26). |
| 40. Local authority
education departments should ensure that all staff
involved in health education receive appropriate training
in nutrition and diet (paragraph 6.26). |
| 41. Schools should take
steps to ensure that tuck shops and school vending
machines re-inforce the health promotion and health
education messages of the school by providing a range of
healthy food choices. HM Inspectors of Schools should
include the monitoring of the provision by both in their
inspections of health promotion and health education and
publish their findings in inspection reports (paragraph
6.27). |
| 42. The Scottish Office
Education and Industry Department should distribute and
commend to education authorities and self-governing and
independent schools the Model Nutritional Guidelines for
Catering Specifications for the Public Sector in Scotland
which can be taken into account when determining contract
specifications for school meals provision (paragraph
6.28). |
| 43. In relation to meals
provision in primary schools, the opportunity to provide,
at all meals, a limited range of menus with vegetables
and fruit included in the price of the meals should be
explored as a matter of priority (paragraph 6.29). |
| 44. Schools should be
encouraged to set up School Nutrition Action Groups which
offer a multi-agency approach to tackle food-related
education and health issues (paragraph 6.31). |
| 45. Health Boards should
explore the potential for partnership arrangements to
facilitate the introduction of healthy eating initiatives
tailored specifically to the dietary needs of children in
schools in low income areas. Such action should integrate
with the initiatives proposed to assist low income
communities (paragraph 6.32). |
| |
| Caterers |
| 46. Catering
establishments should work progressively towards
providing a variety of vegetables and/or a side salad as
part of the main course of every meal. The cost should be
included in the price of the meal (paragraph 7.2). |
| 47. All further and
higher education institutions offering courses in hotel
and catering management should consider including
nutrition and dietary education in their curricula
(paragraph 7.4). |
| 48. The fast food sector
should broaden the range and choice of nutritionally
beneficial foods which it offers to consumers. The
feasibility of an incremental reduction in the fat
content of standard products should be examined urgently
(paragraph 7.5). |
| 49. All catering staff
should have a basic level of training in nutrition and
diet. The training should be validated externally and be
linked to, or be part of, the Scottish Vocational
Qualification for the catering sector. Its introduction
should be considered by the Hotel and Catering Training
Company in collaboration with the Scottish Vocational
Education Council (paragraph 7.6). |
| 50. The Scottish Office
Department of Health should commission the preparation of
nutritional guidelines, based on the Model Nutritional
Guidelines for Catering Specifications for the Public
Sector in Scotland. These guidelines should be provided
to all catering staff (paragraph 7.7). |
| 51. A low cost (or free)
nutritional advisory service, which caterers could
approach for advice and nutritional analysis of food
recipes should be piloted. The Scottish Office should
fund the cost of a pilot scheme (paragraph 7.8). |
| 52. The Scottish Office
should ensure that the catering services of the Scottish
Prison Service and other public services in Scotland
reflect the guidance in the Model Nutritional Guidelines
for Catering Specifications for the Public Sector in
Scotland (paragraph 7.9). |
| 53. The introduction of a
national Healthy Eating Award Scheme should be explored
by the Scottish Consumer Council in partnership with the
Health Education Board for Scotland (paragraph 7.12). |
| 54. The Scottish Tourist
Board should consider ways of incorporating nutritional
advice within its campaign to raise catering standards
throughout Scotland (paragraph 7.15). |
| |
| The National
Health Service |
| 55. The NHS should ensure
that the Service's catering specifications take account
of the guidance in the Model Nutritional Guidelines for
Catering Specifications for the Public Sector in Scotland
(paragraph 8.2) |
| 56. In their planning for
continuing professional education, Health Boards and
Trusts should ensure that greater priority is given to
providing adequate dietary education and counselling
skills to enable health professional staff, including
primary care teams, to place increased emphasis on giving
dietary advice to patients, both opportunistically and
routinely (paragraph 8.3). |
| 57. The larger Health
Boards should consider appointing public health
nutritionists or suitably experienced State Registered
Dietitians. The Health Education Board for Scotland
should ensure that it has access to expert nutritional
advice (paragraph 8.4). |
| 58. Directors of Public
Health should include, in their Annual Reports, a summary
of their Health Boards' diet-related activity (paragraph
8.5). |
| 59. Medical schools, the
Royal Colleges, the Scottish Council for Postgraduate
Medical and Dental Education, the National Board for
Nursing, Midwifery and Health Visiting for Scotland and
the Council for Professions Supplementary to Medicine
should ensure that appropriate emphasis is given to
nutritional and dietary issues in their respective
education and training courses and programmes (paragraph
8.6). |
| 60. The community
dietetic service, in conjunction with the Health
Education Board for Scotland, should enhance their
national strategy for developing educational materials
and should consider what other methods of supporting
their professional colleagues may be possible in securing
the necessary changes in the diet of the Scottish
population (paragraph 8.7). |
| 61. Health Boards should
encourage community dietitians to develop further their
professional skills (paragraph 8.7). |
| |
| Local Authorities |
| 62. The Scottish Office
Department of Health should explore with the Convention
of Scottish Local Authorities the potential for local
authorities to maximise the promotion of healthy eating
in their areas and the Convention's role in taking this
forward. The key role of the proposed national project
officer in co-ordinating, inter alia, the involvement of
local authorities in initiatives to improve the diet of
low income communities should be brought to the attention
of the Convention (paragraphs 5.14, 9.5). |
| 63. Health Boards should
seek to develop the health alliance partnerships they
have established to maximise local authority involvement
(paragraph 9.1). |
| 64. Local authorities
should examine, develop and utilise all opportunities
available to them to facilitate dietary improvement
across the wide range of those of their responsibilities
where they can influence the diet of the Scottish
population. Authorities should place particular emphasis
on ensuring that their catering provision reflects the
guidance in the Model Nutritional Guidelines for Catering
Specifications for the Public Sector in Scotland; and
that those providing "meals on wheels"
services, home helps, care assistants and others involved
in food provision hold, and apply, an appropriate
knowledge of diet and nutrition (paragraph 9.2). |
| |
| Getting the
Message Across |
| 65. All interests in a
position to influence dietary behaviour should ensure
that the healthy eating messages which they promote are
accurate, consistent and reflect the Scottish dietary
targets (paragraph 10.3). |
| 66. The Scottish Consumer
Council should consider commissioning a survey of food
advertising on Scottish television, and possibly more
widely to embrace all the food advertising to which the
Scottish population is exposed, reporting its results to
Scottish Office Ministers (paragraph 10.4). |
| 67. As part of an
integrated and continuing campaign on healthy eating, the
Health Education Board for Scotland should explore the
feasibility of issuing to every household in Scotland a
carefully targeted mail-shot conveying information on
healthy eating (paragraph 10.5). |
| 68. The Health Education
Board for Scotland should commission the preparation of
guidelines to which the food industry and its
representative bodies and other interests promoting
healthy eating can make reference, when preparing
promotional and educational material, in order to ensure
consistency in healthy eating messages, (paragraph 10.5). |
| 69. The Health Education
Board for Scotland should explore the scope for, and
utility of, a promotional publicity/branding device which
might be used on all relevant materials concerned with
healthy eating (paragraph 10.5). |
| 70. Employers should
exploit ways of encouraging healthy eating by their
staff, including the provision of a wider range of
healthy food choices in staff canteens and restaurants
(paragraphs 10.6, 10.7). |
| 71. Research activity on
nutritional aspects of health to improve dietary
awareness should remain a high national priority. The
Human Nutrition Research Forum, the Technology Foresight
Programme, the Scottish Office Agriculture, Environment
and Fisheries Department and the Chief Scientist Office,
Scottish Office Department of Health, should continue to
review research activity, facilitate access to
information on funding and disseminate outcomes
(paragraph 10.10). |
