THE SCOTTISH Government could soon be snooping on school lunches and hospital dinners to make sure they are healthy, nutritious and environmentally sound.
Ministers have backed a Green MSP’s call for a statutory Food Commission to have an “oversight and scrutiny” role in the delivery of the provisions in the Good Food Nation Bill.
That could mean checking the menus on what public sector bodies – from schools to hospitals, retailers, cafes and restaurants – serve and sell.
It will also advise Scottish producers on how to make their produce environmentally sound.
The legislation - which is in its final parliamentary stage - requires the government and health boards and local authorities to create Good Food Nation Plans, which take into consideration social and economic wellbeing,
the environment, health, and economic development.
The amendment to create the commission, lodged by Ariane Burgess, will now be supported by the SNP’s MSPs, which means it should easily get through parliament.
However, the creation of the new quango comes after Finance Secretary Kate Forbes warned of the need for efficiencies in the public sector in a bid to avoid a £3.5 billion black hole.
Ms Forbes has warned that that could mean reducing the public sector workforce to pre-pandemic levels, with around 30,000 jobs potentially being cut by 2026/27.
Commenting, Rural Affairs Secretary Mairi Gougeon said the new body would take the “ongoing budgetary constraints” into account.
The minister said: “Following careful consideration of all the options, I have decided that setting up a statutory Food Commission will strengthen the Good Food Nation Bill and provide further impetus on Scotland’s journey to being a Good Food Nation.
“I am clear that oversight is important and this amendment represents a balance between the need for independent scrutiny, while also taking into account the ongoing budgetary constraints, by creating a Food Commission that is streamlined, efficient and focussed on core tasks.”
Ms Burgess said she was “delighted” with the Government’s support.
She added that the commission would help fulfil the two parties’ “shared commitment to a strong Good Food Nation Bill that lays the groundwork for the move towards a sustainable food system across Scotland”.
Ms Burgess said: “I am delighted that we will now create a statutory Food Commission following constructive engagement with the Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs, fulfilling our shared commitment to a strong Good Food Nation Bill that lays the groundwork for the move towards a sustainable food system across Scotland.
“The new Commission will play a key role, working with national and local government, farmers, crofters, the wider food industry and other stakeholders to build a good food nation across Scotland, encouraging good health, promoting local and environmentally friendly food, improving animal welfare, and supporting the transition of Scotland's food system to net-zero."
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