Scotland to add plant-based milk alternatives to preschool nutrition program

The Scottish government has decided to add plant-based dairy alternatives to the grocery basket as part of the state-funded free milk program for kindergarteners and nurseries.

The decision comes after the vegan community has been actively pushing for the introduction of non-dairy alternatives into social food programs for several years.

Launched in 2019, the Play Fair with Plant-Based Milk campaign aimed to introduce plant-based alternatives to all programs where natural milk is present .

The UK's pre-school milk program assumes that children under the age of five attending nurseries and kindergartens are entitled to receive 1/3 pint of cow's milk free of charge every day. However, the government scheme does not currently include plant-based fortified milk for vegan preschoolers.

Now suppliers of calcium-fortified unsweetened soy drinks will be allowed to provide their products to children over one year of age attending preschools. Dairy-free alternatives will be made available to children through the new Scottish Milk and Healthy Snacks program, which will be launched on 1 August 2021.

“During the consultations, it was noted that children who cannot consume cow's milk for medical, ethical or religious reasons are not receiving beneficial elements under the existing free food supply scheme for preschools. We have sought the advice of Food Standard Scotland to identify safe and nutritious alternatives to cow's milk that could be included in the scheme,” the Scottish government said in a statement. The new program will also provide goat and sheep milk alternatives, as well as healthy snacks such as fresh fruits and vegetables.

milknews.ru