In a move that could have serious implications for local retailers, Food Standards Scotland (FSS)’s Board will today (20th January) discuss a raft of proposals, including reductions in the promotion and advertising of certain foods and drinks as well as the use of taxation to improve the Scottish diet.
Geoff Ogle, Chief Executive of FSS, said: “Since Food Standards Scotland was established just short of 10 months ago, we have been evaluating and considering a wide range of measures to help improve the Scottish diet. We’re now in a position to take our recommendations to our Board for them to decide what should be taken forward and recommended to Scottish Government Ministers.
Today also sees the publication of an FSS report, produced in collaboration with Kantar Worldwide, Monitoring foods and drinks purchased into home in Scotland, using retail data from Kantar World Panel, which confirms Scotland’s lack of progress towards a healthier diet. Despite reductions in the purchase of soft drinks containing sugar, down by 21% since 2010, total sugar purchasing has not changed. FSS figures show that over the period 2010-2015, total calories purchased have not reduced at a population level in Scotland.
The report also provides evidence on food and drink shopping trends in Scotland over the past five years which confirms the large quantities of discretionary foods such as sweets, chocolate, crisps, savoury snacks, biscuits, cakes, pastries and sugary drinks being consumed by consumers in Scotland.
Ogle added: “The report we’re publishing today shows that in five years the best we can say we have done is stand still. Our conclusion is that, overall, the gains made in sugary drink reduction by the drinks industry have been negated through recycling of sugar into different products within the retail offering.”
