Many of you will have seen the recent reports which found that nearly three-quarters of Scottish councils are offering school pupils processed meat which contains a chemical linked to cancer. A majority of local authorities are providing ham options that include nitrites, which is a preservative experts have warned can lead to an increased risk of bowel cancer. These options include processed ham, bacon, pepperoni and corned beef. Fife Council and NHS Fife are currently still serving these products.
Many parents will be alarmed to hear the concerns being brought forward and therefore I am calling on Fife Council and the Scottish Government to review what is going into the food being served up for our kids. I do worry that school meals are more driven by budget cuts as opposed to quality so this needs to change and we should be putting in place procurement using local suppliers and producers with quality and safety being the key priorities
I have asked both the Scottish Government and Fife Council whether it is the case that cost is a factor in the decision to continue using meat products containing nitrites and other preservatives. I have also asked both to look at the quality of food provided and balance this with the health concerns raised.
I believe, and I am sure most parents will agree, that quality and safety should be the key priorities.
Further to this, I have also asked the Government and Fife Council whether they have looked into the possibility of removing processed meats that contain nitrites from our schools and hospitals.
