A roundtable discussion between the third sector and the Scottish Government

Thursday 2^nd May, 9.00 am to 12.30 pm

St Andrew’s House, Regent Road, Edinburgh EH1 3DG

Voluntary Health Scotland and The Poverty Alliance are organising this important roundtable discussion with officials in the Public Health Division, as part of the Scottish Government’s consultation on the role and scope of the proposed new food body for Scotland. The Scottish Government has said it is open to innovative ideas from the third sector, so this is an opportunity for VHS members active in the area of food and health to contribute their experience and ideas.

Places are now strictly limited, so please advise alison.crofts@vhscotland.org.uk as soon as possible if you wish to register.

The new food body will replace the Food Standards Agency, taking on its responsibilities for food standards and safety, and it will be consumer-focused. Scotland has one of the highest levels of obesity amongst OECD countries, with consequent higher risks of conditions like diabetes, heart diseases and cancer, and the new body will be designed to support the Scottish Government’s Strategic Objectives by:

• Tackling poor diet and food-borne diseases to help people in      Scotland live longer, healthier lives

Ministers and their officials have made it clear that they are open to new ideas, including considering arguments and evidence to expand the scope so that the new food body might also:

• Support children’s development through improved diet and nutrition,      to improve life chances for children, young people and families at risk      and help children have the best start in life.
• Contribute to tackling inequalities through involvement in      addressing food poverty.

The consultation paper is  A Healthier Scotland: Consultation on Creating a New Food Body and the consultation period ends on  22^nd May.