Cafes and shops urged to improve health of nation

Scotland’s food watchdog is calling for independent restaurants, convenience stores and cafes to reduce portion sizes, increase the number of healthy options on menus and label calorie content on their products, in a bid to improve the nation’s diet.

Food Standards Scotland (FSS) recommended that there should be more regulation of the promotion of unhealthy foods and drinks, such as those laden with sugar and salt.

The report comes as FSS warned that 40 per cent of Scots could be obese by 2030 if the nation’s current habits continue.

It plans to work with individual small businesses, as well as local authorities, to encourage food providers to sign up to a pledge to improve the nutritional value of food eaten on the go – and display calorie counts of individual products.

Ross Finnie, chairman of FSS, pointed to the availability of mainly sugary baked goods and snacks on offer in convenience stores at places such as train stations.

He said: “It just isn’t helping the Scottish diet. I am not

0 Food providers are being urged to list the calorie content wanting to close down any businesses; we are just trying to get them to purchase products that are more nutritious and have much lower sugar content.” He added that many people do not include snacks when they consider whether or not they eat healthily.

Nutritionist Jenny Rosborough, campaign manager at Action on Sugar, said: “We are fully supportive of FSS recommendations to help reduce the high levels of obesity, type 2 diabetes and tooth decay, all of which are preventable and costs NHS Scotland each year.

“We now strongly urge all manufacturers and companies to comply.”