Food & Health Alliance

Summary of the day

Over 200 delegates took part in an action-packed day at Edinburgh’s Murrayfield Stadium on February 5 when the FHA held its second annual conference, entitled Moving forward with food and health.

The event consisted of plenary talks on national policy and interactive workshops where members attempted to draw up a list of priorities for future action. There was also a marketplace, a picture gallery and parallel sessions. Even the conference food followed the theme of the day, giving participants a chance to taste some of the best of Scottish catering.

In a unique experiment three Scottish organisations – a community caterer, a school canteen and healthyliving awarded hospital canteen – produced an enthusiastically received range of hot and cold foods at both lunchtime and the tea and coffee breaks. 

Members’ top priorities for future action included:

• A national database of nutritionally analysed recipes,
• Ensuring all schools have kitchen facilities,
• Making cookery and nutrition in schools compulsory,
• Extending maternity leave and breastfeeding support on return to work,
• A central food information and advice point,
• A funding adviser to provide help to voluntary projects.

Earlier Public Health Minister Shona Robison underlined the critical importance of joint working across all sectors of food and health and appealed for a new partnership to beat the ‘rising epidemic’ of obesity and unhealthy eating.

The government had already supported a wide range of actions including the healthyliving awards, the Scottish Healthy Grocers’ healthyliving programme and the 500-plus community food groups that were now operating in deprived areas.

In addition the government’s joint delivery plan, to be published in the spring, aimed to promote physical activity, healthy eating and maintaining a healthy weight.

But there was still much to be done and the key would be a multi-sectoral approach where public, private and voluntary sectors all worked together for a common goal.

Ms Robison outlined the series of national outcomes within the National Performance Framework, designed to encourage closer integration of policy. The framework contained 45 national indicators and targets to help assess the impact of the government’s work.

Winding up the conference, chair Caroline Comerford said members should never forget that at heart this was about people and relationships. ‘It’s not just about knowledge but how to translate that into practice. Not just telling them about five a day but about turning that into food on their plate.’

Equally critical was putting over a consistent message – ‘whether you’re a community worker or a celebrity chef you need to say the same thing’.

 The keys to success were ‘about engaging, signing up, ownership and preparation and planning. It’s all basic stuff but it’s all really important.’ 

The conference report and the workshopp notes were all submitted to the Scottish Government's National Food Policy consultation - Choosing the Right Ingredients: the Future for Food in Scotland.