A number of food and drink businesses in Scotland have been awarded funding from a new grant developed to support Scotland’s food service sector. The Healthier Food Service Fund is the latest industry support measure developed by the Food and Drink Federation (FDF) Scotland’s Reformulation for Health Programme, in partnership with Food Standards Scotland (FSS).
The initiative supports small and medium-sized food and drink producers supplying the out-of-home environment, which includes cafes, restaurants, and workplace dining. Recipients of the fund will receive up to £5,000, which is provided by FSS. This will be used in conjunction with the free reformulation support provided by the Reformulation for Health Programme. The programme is funded by the Scottish Government to help Scottish SME food and drink manufacturers make recipe adjustments which will make products healthier, thus helping to improve the nation’s dietary health.
This support package will help make healthier products available to consumers, by reducing fat, sugar, calories or salt, or increasing fibre, wholegrain, or fruit and vegetables in existing food and drink products.
Consumers across Scotland are set to benefit, with successful businesses spanning the nation. This includes Aberdeen-based Sandwich Larder which supplies sandwiches and snacks to NHS hospitals. Brose Oats based in East Linton will use the funding to reduce the natural sugars and saturated fat in its chocolate oat milk. Edinburgh-based Saltire Patisserie will boost the health credentials of its bagel range by increasing the fibre and reducing the sodium content.
Meanwhile Malcolm Allan is set to reduce the sodium content of its steak pies and sausages. Newton Stewart-based Rowan Glen will reduce the sugar content of yoghurts supplied to schools, while also exploring opportunities to add Vitamin D and fibre. Further businesses to receive support include Macsween of Edinburgh and Ayrshire-based Brownings the Bakers.
The funding coincides with the publication of a new FSS Scotland report on the calorie content of sweet discretionary products sold in cafes, coffee shops and bakeries in 2023, showing a small reduction in calories compared to the previous analysis.
The research explored the calorie content of products such as cakes, sweet pastries, and biscuits from out-of-home businesses in Scotland, finding that the average calorie content decreased from 465 to 449 calories per portion, between 2022 and 2023.
Although the report revealed a greater proportion of products contained fewer than 325 calories per portion (the maximum the UK Government recommends for these products) compared to 2022, the majority of products were found to exceed this amount.
