ACR-News

THE Scottish government will invest more than £200,000 a year on providing shops with refrigerators and shelves to display healthy food.
In an effort to cut the number of obese people in Scotland, the government will invest £679,000 over three years, matched by a £650,000 from retailers, to extend the Scottish Grocers' Federation Healthy Living programme.

The Healthy Living Programme provides shops with new chillers and shelving to display fresh, healthy produce.

The expansion of the programme will see plans in place to sign up more independent retailers and larger chains to the initiative.

Scottish Grocers' Federation chief executive John Drummond said the healthy living programme currently has 625 members but there are plans to encourage more retailers to sign up.

The Scottish Grocers' Federation (SGF) represents independent convenience stores in Scotland, with approximately 250 members representing over 2,000 retail outlets.

Speaking at the Scottish Grocers' Federation Conference, public health minister Shona Robison said: 'We are committed to tackling Scotland's obesity epidemic and this initiative will continue to make it easier for people to make healthy choices. The added investment of £1.3 million means that the SGF Healthy Living programme can include more shops across Scotland'.

Shona Robison launched the Scottish government's obesity strategy Preventing Overweight and Obesity in Scotland - A Route Map Towards Healthy Weight on February 22.