A parent from Perth and Kinross has recently written a petition to ban ultra-processed food (UPF) in all school meals in Scotland. Is this a worrying trend in school meals and why are we writing about it? Well, the Countryside Alliance has been running a lengthy campaign to encourage local councils and government offices to provide good quality, locally produced food in all public buildings such as schools, hospitals and care homes, to support our local farmers and food producers. We are pushing back on local councils who have proclaimed that veganism is the way forward, most recently in Keir Starmer’s own constituency in Camden who are planning to go fully vegan.

Now we are hearing about a parent from a rural area in Scotland raising concerns that her children’s school menu, provided by the Perth and Kinross Council, relies heavily on ultra-processed foods - especially meat substitutes - despite claims that it meets government regulations. This is very disappointing to hear given that Perth and Kinross have some of the best agricultural land in Scotland, particularly in the lower eastern part of the region, producing some of the best soft fruit in the country. In fact, one of the Countryside Alliance’s Rural Awards winners, Loch Levens Larder, is based in the region and boasts about supplying top quality and locally produced food in their shop. 

The Scottish Agricultural Census of 2018 state that roughly 80% of Scotland is agricultural so there really isn’t any excuse for Scottish councils to not provide healthy, fresh, locally sourced food, and educating the pupils about where their food has come from. There are many estates that take part in ‘Hill to Grill’ educational days for school pupils to educate them on how deer are shot, butchered and cooked into delicious, highly nutritious meals. Venison should be included on all menus in council-owned buildings, as it offers a healthier alternative to other meats - providing just 104 kcal and 1 gram of fat per 100 grams. By contrast, the same amount of lean beef contains 191 kcal and 11 grams of fat.

The petition is gaining traction with around 4,000 signatures and is now under consideration by the Scottish Parliament. We will be keeping a close eye on the outcome of this petition, but one last thing to consider – we owe it to our children to provide them with a healthy, nutritious and affordable diet and not a diet laden with highly addictive chemicals. UPFs are the number one cause of diet-related diseases, including obesity and heart disease, a very frightening statistic indeed!

The Scottish Countryside Alliance have recently responded to the Good Food Nation Proposed National Plan consultation, which closes on 15 August. More to follow on this shortly.

You can read more about ultra-processed food in Ultra-Processed People by Chris van Tulleken.