Blog

New survey shows 24% increase in vegan and vegetarian residents over the past decade, signalling shifts in dietary preferences among older adults. As the UK celebrated Vegan Month in November, new findings from Vegetarian for Life reveal a significant increase in plant-based diets among older adults in care settings. A representative survey of 1,000 UK care homes shows a 24% r ...

  Meals on Wheels - More than just a meal! The award-winning national event, organised by the National Association of Care Catering (NACC), raises awareness of and celebrates Meals on Wheels services across the country and the vital role they play in supporting older and vulnerable people living in our communities. It is an initiative that brings together Health and Social C ...

During the State Opening of Parliament on Wednesday 17 July, the King set out the government’s priorities for the coming months. This included commitments relating to education, including children’s social care, schools, and further education. Together, these important changes will help to break down barriers to opportunity, and drive high and rising standards in schools, to ...

An accredited training course is one which is officially accredited by a recognised awarding body. These courses are standardised, ensuring that every learner who takes them is learning the same information.  Accredited courses are transferable skills and are a requirement for many job roles. They tend to require more of a time investment than non-accredited courses, and may i ...

The importance of having good allergen management within your organisation is CRUCIAL.  It is recommended that your staff should undertake annual training to ensure that they are confident in handling allergen information requests. Catering and front of house staff should be able to ensure that customers who are declared food allergy sufferers are provided safe food. They shou ...

Food crime is a serious matter.  It’s important to report any concerns around food or drink you have been offered, and any information you give will be 100% anonymous. Food crime includes the sale and/or supply of counterfeit alcohol and DNP (a toxic chemical which can be sold as a weight loss supplement). Consumption of these can lead to serious injury and death. We all ne ...

To support out of home outlets to provide healthier foods, Public Health Scotland and Food Standards Scotland are developing a voluntary Eating Out, Eating Well Framework and Code of Practice for children's menus. This is one of the range of interventions included in the Scottish Government's out of home action plan. PHS is looking to recruit out of home businesses to take par ...

We cannot make vitamin D from sun exposure during autumn and winter months and the UK Government recommends that everyone should consider taking a daily 10mcg vitamin D supplement from October to March. This is to make sure we get enough vitamin D to keep bones and muscles healthy. However, the latest survey from British Nutrition Foundation reveals that awareness levels among ...

In June 2023, the Scottish Government published their new Cancer Strategy for Scotland, covering the next decade to 2033. This was accompanied by an Action Plan, which outlines short term priorities for the next 3 years. Both documents outline the Scottish Government’s vision for improving cancer survival and for providing excellent, equitably accessible care. Part of this visi ...

Heart attacks and strokes are the biggest causes of death and disability in the UK, with two people suffering from these often-debilitating conditions every 5 minutes. The strain this is having, not only on the individual and their families, but on our struggling NHS cannot be ignored.   Most cases are entirely preventable and so it’s vital we all take measures to improve our ...