South Ayrshire Council News

Representatives from each of the organisations who attended the awards ceremony are pictured with Provost Winifred Sloan

During the last twelve months 112 people in South Ayrshire successfully completed the Royal Environmental Health Institute of Scotland’s (REHIS) Elementary Food and Health Course delivered by Paragon Training.

South Ayrshire Council Environmental Health applied to the Foods Standards Agency (FSA) for £10,000 of funding as part of the FSA’s 2007/08 Food Hygiene Campaign. Out of 136 applications that the FSA received from across the United Kingdom, South Ayrshire Council was selected for funding along with 22 other local authorities.

Eleven courses were eight took place, eight in Ayr, two in Girvan and one in Troon. A total of 112 people passed the course examination. Evaluation data obtained during the course showed the number of clients who would benefit from the information being passed to them totalled 2,180.

South Ayrshire Council Provost Winifred Sloan presented awards to participants who attended the awards ceremony. Provost Sloan said: “The project trained key workers, individuals and volunteers who work directly with specific groups. The knowledge and understanding that course participants gained will help them to support their clients and encourage those they are working with to eat healthily.

Some of the people who work directly with the following groups in South Ayrshire took part in the courses:

• People with additional learning support needs.
• Disadvantaged groups such as homeless people.
• Pregnant women.
• Babies and young children.
• Young people not in education, employment or training.
• Older people.
• Ethnic groups.

Course participants gained an appreciation and understanding of food and nutrition and the effects on health by learning about:

• Functions of food in terms of carbohydrate, protein and fat.
• The role of vitamins, minerals and trace elements.
• Fluid and alcohol intake.
• Differing energy needs for babies, children, pregnant women and older people.
• The importance of food in chronic diseases such as diabetes, coeliac disease (wheat intolerance).
• Healthy eating and ways of preparing and cooking foods for a healthy diet.
• Assessing nutrition information on food labels.

Councillor Peter Convery, the Council’s Portfolio Carrier for Sustainability and Environmental issues said: “I would like to congratulate everyone who took part in the course. Each of the courses was part of a joint initiative run in partnership with South Ayrshire Council Environmental Health and NHS Ayrshire and Arran, Public Health Nutrition. The funding from the FSA, used to support the training programme, has made a real difference to the lives of many people in South Ayrshire.”

Anyone who would like further information about food hygiene matters should contact Environmental Health staff on telephone number 01292 618222 or e-mail environmental.health@south-ayrshire.gov.uk

For more information on food related matters log on to the FSA’s website at
www.food.gov.uk