Question reference: S6W-02623
- Asked by: Pauline McNeill, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
- Date lodged: 2 September 2021
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Current status: Answered by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 13 September 2021
Question
To ask the Scottish Government what guidance it has issued to schools regarding the identification of food on their menu that contains pork.
Answer
The Scottish Government published updated guidance on Healthy Eating in Schools on our website in February 2021. This guidance is available on our website through the following link: Healthy eating in schools: guidance 2020 - gov.scot (www.gov.scot)
Our guidance recognises that cultural traditions, religious beliefs and faiths can have a significant impact on the kind of food we eat, how it is prepared and even how or when it is eaten. Therefore the guidance advises that local authorities may wish to work with their school communities to include a statement within their school food policy that reflects the diversity of their particular school population.
Although the guidance makes no specific reference to what action should be taken to identify foods containing pork or other animal products, where a child or young person or their parents/carers request a special diet, whether that be for medical or cultural reasons, we would expect schools and local authorities to accommodate any such requests.