Fair Food Price Caps

The following sections provide an overview of existing item lists and associated product specifications used for the provision and promotion of products within retail environments in Scotland. These may help inform the development of a food price cap. While the overarching principles and categories within these policies are generally aligned with current dietary advice, it should be noted that the underlying product-specific criteria may require revision. Although these criteria were originally designed to support product positioning and promotion rather than price control, the development of a price cap should be guided by the same core principles to support progress towards national Dietary Goals.

The Healthcare Retail Standard (HRS) is a mandatory requirement for stores in NHS settings across Scotland. It helps promote healthier food and drink options for employees, patients, and visitors, fostering a more health-conscious environment.

Key inclusions within the HRS, and associated criteria are as follows:

• fruit and vegetables: fresh, frozen, tinned, pickled and dried (no added sugar), including potatoes and potato products
• beans, pulses and legumes: all forms, including tinned varieties (e.g. baked beans in sauce)
• starchy carbohydrates and grains: rice, pasta, noodles, couscous, bulgur wheat, quinoa, polenta, breakfast cereals (≤22.5g sugar, ≤1.5g salt, ≥5g fibre), and wholemeal bread
• fish: fresh, frozen, tinned and processed fish, including oily fish varieties
• meat and alternatives: lean fresh and frozen white/red meat and vegetarian alternatives
• dairy and alternatives:
• cheese and alternatives (≤27g fat per 100g)
• plain unsweetened yoghurt (≤3g fat per 100g)
• lower-fat milk and alternatives (≤1.8g fat per 100ml)
• fruit and vegetable juices: with no added sugar or sweeteners

The Healthy Living Programme (HLP) supports small retailers to increase sales, engage customers, and promote healthier choices, with a particular focus on stores serving more deprived communities.

Although small retailers are not currently proposed to be within scope of the price cap policy, Ministers may wish to consider commissioning a review and update of the HLP alongside this work. This would help ensure that communities without access to larger retailers continue to be supported in accessing healthier food options. FSS would be well placed to support any such review.

Across these policies, the following principles are aligned with FSS’ recommended approach to category and item selection for the price cap:

• prioritising availability of healthy options in line with dietary advice, including vegetables, fruit and starchy carbohydrates
• restricting availability of HFSS items
• nutrition criteria in place for composite items
• availability of high fibre options available
• selection of foods should be guided by transparent criteria that balance nutritional quality, consumer purchasing patterns, practicality, inclusivity and supply considerations