Diet and health in Scotland
FDF Scotland and our members take the health of the Scottish people and wider population very seriously - particularly in relation to rising obesity levels.
Improving the health of the Scottish people
The Scottish Government's diet and healthy weight delivery plan: A Healthier
Future
highlights the visions and ambitions of improving diet and health across our
nation. The
Scottish Dietary Goals set out a range of nutritional goals for the Scottish population.
These
goals are used to inform this work and were recommended to the Scottish
Government by the Food
Standards Scotland Board.
Reformulation for Health
FDF Scotland is proud to deliver Reformulation for Health, a Scottish Government funded programme of support
for small and medium sized food companies to make their products healthier.
Supporting consumers to make healthier choices
Our members are supporting consumers to achieve a balanced diet within a healthy
lifestyle.
Find out more in our health report – Feeding Change.
Over the past five years FDF members reduced energy in the average shopping
basket
by 5.5% and sugars by 12.1%. During the lifetime of the latest salt targets (2012-
2017)
FDF's members have reduced salt content by a further 11.4%, continuing to build
on more than 15
years of steady reformulation work. (Kantar Worldpanel UK data for FDF total
membership).
Scottish Government Policy: Restricting promotions and marketing of foods high
in fat, sugar
and salt
The Scottish Government is pressing ahead with plans
to restrict food and drink promotions and marketing.
There is no evidence to suggest there will be a significant reduction in obesity
levels in Scotland
as a result of these proposals.
Restricting promotions will hit the poorest shoppers hardest – at a time when
all customers are
seeing increases to the cost of their weekly shopping basket. The regulation of
promotions within
retail premises is a hugely complicated area and could create unfair
disadvantage to different types
of products.
Proposals would restrict promotion of reformulated healthier products and stifle
new innovations
and brands to be brought to the market.
More Information
View FDF Scotland's recent responses to diet
and health consultations.
For more information on our policy work, please get in touch with Cat Hay, FDF
Scotland's Policy
Manager, at cat.hay@fdfscotland.org.uk.
Last reviewed: 12 May 2020