Best Start Foods card: FOI release

Information requested

Please can you refer me to the information that was used to form the policy for the Best Start Foods card - how the list of eligible food has been determined?

Response

In answer to your question on the determination of the eligible food list for Best Start Foods: Best Start Foods was launched in Scotland on 12th August 2019 and replaced the UK’s Healthy Start Foods scheme which has a limited available food list for its voucher recipients. Please see the link below to the website. 

https://www.healthystart.nhs.uk/

In order to explore the possibility of expanding the food list for the Best Start Foods scheme, a Short Term Working Group was formed of a range of key experts, (membership details in Annex below ) where potential changes to prescribed foods for the new Best Start Foods payment card were explored.

The group discussed extending the list of prescribed foods beyond the UK Scheme’s list which was restricted to current fresh/frozen fruit and vegetables. The pros and cons of widening to a range of other foods was discussed at length with the following points made:

• Members highlighted the importance of retaining the policy intent which is that Best Start Foods will provide low income pregnant women and families with children under the age of three on certain benefits with financial support to purchase healthy foods.
• The group recommended that the scheme could maintain its nutritional focus, while providing more balance and choice, through the addition of eggs and dried pulses to the prescribed list.
• The Group were in agreement that it was important to be proactive and continue to encourage recipients to eat fruit and veg.

Scottish Government officials also liaised with other government departments and agencies including Food Standards Scotland to ensure that any changes proposed were consistent with other initiatives. Based on the findings from discussions and the public consultation which is referenced below, we expanded the range of items available to purchase using the Best Start foods card as follows:

• Cow’s milk
• First Infant formula milk (suitable from birth)
• Fresh or frozen fruit and vegetables.
• Tinned fruit and vegetables (new)
• Fresh or tinned pulses (new)
• Eggs (new)

Below is the rationale for the expanded food list which was developed through the working group:

Tinned fruit and vegetables – some people on a low income will have limited freezer space and may not be able to buy frozen products. In some areas access to fresh fruit and vegetables is limited due to the shops nearby, therefore adding in tinned fruit and vegetables expands choice. Food Standards Scotland advice confirmed that tinned fruit and vegetables are a very good source of vitamins and minerals, and the dietary fibre content is the same as fresh.

Fresh or tinned pulses – these items are widely considered to be a healthy and nutritious form of protein (and can also count as one of your 5-a-day) and can contribute to healthy nutritious meals e.g. soups.

Eggs – they are again widely considered to be a reasonably inexpensive, versatile and nutritious form of protein. They can be easily stored and used for a variety of meals.

I enclose a link to the Policy note, which provides background information to the Welfare Foods (Best Start Foods) (Scotland) Regulations 2019:

https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ssi/2019/193/pdfs/ssipn_20190193_en.pdf

I also enclose a link to public consultation on the proposals for Best Start Foods:

https://consult.gov.scot/health-protection/welfare-foods/

This information is publicly available and explains what information was used to form the Best Start Foods policy. The link provides the original consultation paper, the publicly available responses to the consultation and the consultation report completed by independent analysts.

Under section 25(1) of FOISA, we do not have to give you information which is already reasonably accessible to you. If, however, you do not have internet access to obtain this information from the website(s) listed, then please contact me again and I will send you a paper copy.

ANNEX
Short Term Working Group Membership

NAME	ROLE	ORGANISATION
Stakeholders
Marion Davies	Head of Policy & Strategy	One Parent Families Scotland
Nicola Dickie	Policy Manager	Convention of Scottish Local Authorities
Rosie Dodds		Healthy Start Alliance
John Downie	Director of Public Affairs	Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations

NAME	ROLE	ORGANISATION
Ewan Gurr	Scotland Network Manager	Trussell Trust
Veronica King	Healthy Start Lead and Health & Wellbeing Specialist, CYP Team	NHS Dumfries & Galloway
Gillian Kynoch	Head in Scotland	Fareshare
Aileen McCraw	Health Improvement Lead	NHS Borders
[Redacted]	Family Nurse Partnership	NHS Tayside
Jo Ozga	Policy Worker	Scottish Women’s Aid
[Redacted]	Health Visitor	NHS Greater Glasgow & Clyde
Sheila Rattray	Team Leader, Community Midwives	NHS Grampian
Mark Willis	Welfare Rights Adviser	Child Poverty Action Group
Claire Stevens	Chief Officer	Voluntary Health Scotland
Scottish Government
Scottish Government Official	Policy Team Leader	Scottish Government
Scottish Government Official	Policy Manager	Scottish Government
Scottish Government Official	Maternity Benefit Policy Manager	Scottish Government (Observer)
Scottish Government Official	Policy Officer	Scottish Government (Secretariat)
Linda Wolfson	Professional Adviser on Secondment	Scottish Government / NHS Greater Glasgow & Clyde

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