Criteria for the Healthcare Retail Standard

Document details the criteria, rationale and scope of the Healthcare Retail Standard for all retail providers operating in the NHS in Scotland.


Annex A

Provision and Promotion Criteria

Vegetables and Fruit

ITEM

CRITERIA

PROVISION
(50% of all food for retail must meet these criteria)

PROMOTION

Fresh vegetables

Any

All plain varieties, including ready prepared

Canned vegetables

Any

Only vegetables with no added salt or sugar

Fresh fruit

Any

All plain varieties, including ready prepared

Canned fruit

Any

Only fruit with no added sugar or syrup

Frozen fruit and vegetables

Any

Only fruit and vegetables without added salt or sugar

Beans and pulses

Refer to Annex B- Nutrition Criteria

All plain varieties, including dried and frozen and canned without added salt or sugar

Canned beans and pulses in sauce, including baked beans in tomato sauce

Refer to Annex B- Nutrition Criteria

Only varieties that meet the following criteria:

  • No more than 5g sugar per 100g,
  • No more than 0.56g salt or 225mg sodium per 100g.

Pickled and preserved fruit and vegetables ( e.g. olives)

Refer to Annex B- Nutrition Criteria

Refer to Annex B - single serve portions of 35g or less

Foods Rich in Starchy Carbohydrates and Fibre

ITEM

CRITERIA

PROVISION
(50% of all food for retail must meet these criteria)

PROMOTION

Potatoes

Any

All plain fresh varieties (including sweet potatoes and yams), and canned potatoes with no added salt.

Oven chips and other potato products

Refer to Annex B- Nutrition Criteria

Only chilled and frozen chips and potato products that meet the following criteria:

  • No more than 5% total fat, and require no addition of fat in preparation
  • No more than 0.69g salt or 275mg sodium per 100g
  • Excludes crisps and snacks

Grains including rice, cous cous, bulgar wheat, polenta and quinoa

Refer to Annex B- Nutrition Criteria

All plain varieties of grains.

Excludes products with added ingredients.

Pasta and noodles

Refer to Annex B- Nutrition Criteria

All plain varieties of pasta and noodles.

Excludes products with added ingredients.

Fish

ITEM

CRITERIA

PROVISION
(50% of all food for retail must meet these criteria)

PROMOTION

Plain fresh and frozen oil rich fish

Any

All plain oil rich fish including salmon, mackerel, sardines, tuna.

Excludes smoked products and products with additions such as sauces, batters or crumbs.

Canned oil rich fish

Any excluding canned tuna because the essential fatty acids are largely removed in the canning process

All varieties (excluding canned tuna) that meet the following criteria:

  • No more than 1.5g salt or 600mg sodium per 100g (maximum)

Plain Fresh and frozen white fish

Any plain white fish with no additions such as sauces, batters or crumbs

Any plain white fish with no additions such as sauces, batters or crumbs.

Processed fresh or frozen fish, (excluding canned) such as breaded, smoked etc

Refer to Annex B- Nutrition criteria

Refer to Annex B- Nutrition criteria

Meat and Other Non-Dairy Protein Sources

ITEM

CRITERIA

PROVISION
(50% of all food for retail must meet these criteria)

PROMOTION

Fresh, frozen and prepared lean white meat

Refer to Annex B- Nutrition Criteria

All plain products without added salt, sugar and fat.

Excludes products with additions such as sauces, batters or crumbs.

Fresh, Frozen and prepared vegetarian meat substitutes

Refer to Annex B- Nutrition Criteria

All plain products without added salt, sugar and fat.

Excludes products with additions such as sauces, batters or crumbs.

Excludes products such as vegetarian sausages, burgers etc

Fresh and frozen lean red meat

Refer to Annex B- Nutrition Criteria

No promotion

Processed meat and ready to eat meat snacks ( e.g. ham, reformed meats, pork pies and scotch eggs)

Refer to Annex B- Nutrition Criteria

No promotion

Cheese

ITEM

CRITERIA

PROVISION
(50% of all food for retail must meet these criteria)

PROMOTION

Cheese and cheese products

( e.g. soft cheese, processed cheese products)

All varieties that meet the following:

  • 27g or less of fat per 100g

No promotion

Alternative to dairy products ( e.g. soya alternative to cheese)

All varieties that meet the following:

  • 27g or less of fat per 100g

No promotion

Desserts

ITEM

CRITERIA

PROVISION
(50% of all food for retail must meet these criteria)

PROMOTION

Plain unsweetened ( i.e. with no added sugar) yoghurt

All plain yoghurt containing no more than 3g per 100g fat.

All plain yoghurt containing no more than 3g per 100g fat.

Sweetened and flavoured yoghurt

Must contain 3g or less of fat per 100g and 10g or less of sugar per 100g.

Must contain 3g or less of fat per 100g and 10g or less of sugar per 100g.

All other desserts ( e.g. mousse, sundaes, jellies, rice pudding products, frozen yoghurt)

Must contain 3g or less of fat per 100g and 10g or less of sugar per 100g.

Must contain 3g or less of fat per 100g and 10g or less of sugar per 100g.

Soft Drinks, Flavoured Water, Fruit Juice & Flavoured Milk

ITEM

CRITERIA

PROVISION

PROMOTION

70% OF ALL DRINKS FOR RETAIL MUST HAVE NO ADDED SUGARS AND MEET THE FOLLOWING CRITERIA:

Plain Water

Plain (still and sparkling)

Water must always be available

Plain (still and sparkling)

Tea and coffee

Ready to drink ( includes chilled tea and coffee drinks)

Any, as long as one of the following is available: skimmed, 1% and semi-skimmed milk and excludes those with added sugar or syrup, cream or cream substitutes

No promotion

Fruit and herbal teas

Any variety provided it contains no added sugar

As provision

Lower fat plain milk and milk alternatives

All plain skimmed, 1%, semi-skimmed and unsweetened milk alternatives with less than 1.8g of fat per 100ml can be included.

Low fat milkshakes (less than 1.8g of fat per 100ml) with no added sugar can be included

Only plain skimmed, 1% and semi-skimmed milk and unsweetened milk alternatives with a fat content of less than 1.8g of fat per 100ml

Sugar free drinks

Carbonated, still flavoured drinks and flavoured waters e.g diet, zero ranges and sugar free varieties)

0.5g or less of sugar per 100ml by number of SKUs

Excludes drinks containing more than 150mg caffeine per litre, where manufacturers are required to declare "High Caffeine Content" on the packaging, in accordance with food labelling regulations [2]

As provision

Fruit Juice (fresh and from concentrate)

Single serve of up to 250ml only

No promotion

30% OF ALL DRINKS FOR RETAIL CAN CONTAIN ADDED SUGAR BY NUMBER OF SKU'S:

Fruit juice

All fruit juices (fresh and from concentrate)

Any pack size above 250ml

No promotion

Sugar containing drinks

carbonated or still drinks, flavoured waters and fruit juice drinks with more than 0.5g of sugar per 100ml

Any drink with more than 0.5g of added sugar per 100ml

No promotion

Flavoured milk and milk alternative drinks with added sugar e.g. milk shakes

Flavoured milk and milk alternative drinks with added sugar

No promotion

Composite Products

ITEM

CRITERIA

PROVISION
(50% of all food for retail must meet these criteria)

PROMOTION

Pasta sauces

Refer to Annex B- Nutrition Criteria

Only tomato or vegetable based sauces containing no more than 0.93g salt or 370mg sodium per 100g.

Ready meals and takeaway dishes

Refer to Annex B- Nutrition Criteria

Refer to Annex B- Nutrition Criteria

Soup

Refer to Annex B- Nutrition Criteria

Vegetable and / or pulse ( e.g. lentil) based soups that contain no more than 0.63g salt or 250mg sodium per 100g as consumed ( i.e. not as dried). Excludes creamed soups.

Prepared salad dishes

e.g. tuna pasta salad, ham salad box

Refer to Annex B- Nutrition Criteria

Refer to Annex B- Nutrition Criteria

Hummus and other dips

Refer to Annex B- Nutrition Criteria

No promotion

Composite Products (Continued)

ITEM

CRITERIA

PROVISION
(50% of all food for retail must meet these criteria)

PROMOTION

Sandwiches, wraps, filled rolls baguettes

Refer to Annex B- Nutrition Criteria

Only products that meet the following criteria:

  • contains salad/vegetables,
  • no more than 400 kcals per serving/ pack,
  • no more than 1.8g salt or 720mg of sodium per portion.

Bread

Refer to Annex B- Nutrition Criteria

All plain bread and rolls containing no more than 1.13g salt or 450mg sodium per 100g . Excludes bread and rolls with additional ingredients such as olives, cheese and sundried tomatoes.

Wholemeal bread should always be included in any bread promotion.

Other baked goods including pastries, cakes, tarts, tray bakes, pies, doughnuts and scones

Refer to Annex B- Nutrition Criteria

No promotion

Composite savoury snacks ( e.g. packs containing crackers, cheese and ham)

Refer to Annex B- Nutrition Criteria

No promotion

Composite Products (Continued)

ITEM

CRITERIA

PROVISION
(50% of all food for retail must meet these criteria)

PROMOTION

Rolled oats, oatmeal and barley

Refer to Annex B- Nutrition Criteria

All plain varieties

Excludes products with added ingredients

Breakfast cereals (includes porridge pots)

Products must contain:

  • 22.5g or less of sugar per 100g,
  • 1.5g or less of salt per 100g, and
  • more than 5g of fibre per 100g.

Products must contain:

  • no more than 10g sugar/100g,
  • no more than 1g salt or 400mg sodium per 100g (max).
  • more than 5g of fibre per 100g

Snacks

ITEM

CRITERIA

PROVISION
(50% of all food for retail must meet these criteria)

PROMOTION

Savoury snacks (including crisps, rice cakes, breadsticks and popcorn)

Refer to Annex B - Nutrition criteria

Only single serve products of 38g or less only

As provision only as part of a meal deal

Sweet snacks (including confectionery, cereal bars, sugar free sweets, ice cream and frozen products)

Refer to Annex B- Nutrition Criteria

No promotion

Biscuits (includes crackers, oatcakes)

Refer to Annex B- Nutrition Criteria

No promotion

Plain nuts and seeds

Any plain nuts or seeds without added ingredients, single serve portions of 55g or less only

As provision but only single serve portions of 40g or less only

Plain dried fruit and plain dried fruit and vegetable products with no additions ( nuts, oats, rice flour etc)

Any plain varieties (with no added sugar) with a portion size of 35g or less

As provision but only as part of a meal deal

Processed fruit and nut products with no other added ingredients (no added sugar, fats, flour etc)

Processed products containing only fruit and nut based ingredients.

Portion size of 40g or less only

As provision but only as part of a meal deal

Processed fruit products with added ingredients e.g. yogurt covered raisins, dried fruit bars with oats etc

Refer to Annex B - Nutrition Criteria

No promotion

Other Groceries

ITEM

CRITERIA

PROVISION
(50% of all food for retail must meet these criteria)

PROMOTION

Packaged tea bags

(including herbal and fruit)

Refer to Annex B - Nutrition Criteria

Refer to Annex B - Nutrition Criteria

Coffee, sugar, hot chocolate powder, honey, jam, mayonnaise, mustard etc.

Refer to Annex B- Nutrition Criteria

No promotion

Fresh eggs

Any

No promotion

Cream/cream fraiche/sour cream

Must contain no more than 10g of fat per 100g

No promotion

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