TOP chef Nick Nairn and players from Hearts today joined Environment Secretary Richard Lochhead at an Edinburgh school to kick off a new drive on food.
They visited the breakfast club at Sighthill Primary to launch a national discussion on how to make food healthier, minimise the environmental impact of food production and retail and boost jobs and businesses.
BON APPETIT: Richard Lochhead, Deividas Cesnauskis, and Nick Nairn at Sighthill Primary today
Ideas floated in a new discussion document, but yet to be fleshed, out include:
• New traceability schemes so people know where their food comes from.
• Greater innovation to develop more low-fat, low-salt and low-sugar food.
• Teaching children how to cook and helping them learn about taste and nutrition at a younger age.
• Promotion and sale of more affordable, healthier and clearly labelled Scottish produce.
Mr Lochhead, who was joined today by Hearts midfielders Deividas Cesnauskis and Eggert Jonsson, said the food policy, which would be the first of its kind in the UK, aimed to join up government policy on every part of the food chain from farm gate to plate.
He said: "Scotland produces some of the finest food in the world but we need to tap into the full potential of this great resource for the benefit of everyone.
"Food is about so much more than what we eat. It is about jobs, the environment, tourism and the health of our nation."
Food and drink generates sales of £7.3 billion from processing, including whisky; and £1.75 billion from agriculture. And food and beverages is also Scotland's top exporting industry, with sales of £2.8 billion to the rest of the UK and £3.6bn outside the UK.
A series of events will be held between now and April to help gather views on the food issue.
Mr Lochhead said: "I want people to let us know what excites them about food and what makes it difficult for them to access healthy, Scottish, affordable food."
And he praised Sighthill Primary's breakfast club, which is sponsored by insurance company Aegon, as an excellent example of providing pupils with a nutritious start to the day.
Last year the Heart of Midlothian FC Education and Community Trust launched an initiative, backed by the Evening News, to see breakfast clubs set up at all 94 schools in the city.
Nick Nairn said: "It is imperative we don't under estimate the importance of breakfast to set us up for the day. Too many Scots children are going out of the house under-nourished and not able to achieve their full potential."
• Find out about events being held across Scotland, and see the discussion document, which is available for comment online, at
www.scotland.gov.uk/foodYou can take part in the Scottish Government's online food forum:
www.scotland.gov.uk/food/discussion/forum. You can submit views on
www.scotland.gov.uk/food/discussion/views.
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E-mail your thoughts to: food@scotland.gsi.gov.uk.