To support the development of the Scottish Government's Price Controls on Essential Food Items consultation, Food Standards Scotland (FSS) provided advice on the principles, criteria and approaches that could be used to identify foods for inclusion in an essential food basket and undertook additional analysis to identify commonly consumed foods within the Eatwell Guide food groups.
Price controls on essential food items
Principles, criteria and potential approaches for identifying foods for inclusion within an essential food basket and analysis of 2024 Scottish Health Survey data.
Summary
Fair Food Price Caps – Food Standards Scotland's Advice Briefing
This paper outlines the public health nutrition advice provided by FSS to the Scottish Government ahead of its Price Controls on Essential Food Items consultation.
It sets out the principles, criteria and potential approaches that could be used to identify foods for inclusion within an essential food basket. The recommendations are intended to support the development of a transparent and evidence-based approach to defining an essential food basket and inform further policy development.
Fair Food Price Caps – Analysis of 2024 SHeS
This paper presents analyses undertaken by Food Standards Scotland to inform the development of the Scottish Government's Price Controls on Essential Food Items consultation.
It uses dietary data from the 2024 Scottish Health Survey to identify the foods most commonly consumed by people living in Scotland, within the Eatwell Guide food groups, based on consumption frequency, prevalence of consumption and average intake. The findings are intended to provide an evidence base to support consideration of foods that may be appropriate for inclusion in an essential food basket and inform further policy development.