Fruit for families on lower incomes

Families on low incomes will now be able to use Scottish Government vouchers to buy tinned fruit after a revamp of the Healthy Start Voucher scheme.

Tins of fruit have been added to the list of healthy foods and weekly payments will increase from £3.10 to £4.25.

However, there have been concerns that people will use the vouchers for tinned fruit in heavy sugary syrup.

Nutritionist and author Dr Zoe Harcombe said: “It is great that the scheme is being expanded and there are some good healthy choices here, but I think there needs to be an element of refinement.”

The government says they will issue advice to families to choose the healthier tins of fruit without syrup.