All school pupils in grades one to three (P1 - P3) in Scotland are to be entitled to free school meals following successful pilot schemes. The move is designed to improve the nutritious content of foods eaten by young children. Plans for a national roll out were announced overnight after pilot schemes ran across five local authorities and 35,000 children between October 2007 and June 2008. Uptake of meals among these students rose from 53 per cent to 75 per cent. Within the target group of pupils... ...Read more »

Regulators and policy makers need to get out from behind their desks to see what it is really like to work in the food and drink industry, Food and Drink Federation (FDF) Director General Melanie Leech told a major conference in London overnight. Speaking at the New Regulatory Reform Agenda conference organised by Whitehall & Westminster magazine, Leech said: “I understand the time pressures facing those in Government and its agencies - but if you don’t understand business processes,... ...Read more »

Pressure has been mounting on caffeinated alcohol beverages as US consumer groups look to ban such products. With binge drinking a concern, it appears the focus has now spread from alcopops to caffeinated alcohol products. Anheuser-Busch has announced that they will remove the caffeine, guarana, and ginseng from their flavored malt beverages Tilt and Bud Extra. The move comes as part of agreements reached with the non-profit Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI), which in February threatened... ...Read more »

Scotland has announced progress in their quest to create their first ‘National Policy for Food and Drink’. The policy will set out to “boost the industry, support healthier and more environmentally sustainable choices and enhance Scotland’s reputation as a land of food and drink”. Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs and the Environment, Richard Lochhead, has floated several new measures including: * A major campaign, led by high-profile chef Martin Wishart, to... ...Read more »