New scheme brings fruit, veg to UK women and children

Lauched in Devon and Cornwall in November 2005, the scheme is now set to be introduced nationwide as from November 2006.

Designed to replace the existing Welfare Food Scheme, the new Healthy Start Scheme supports the governments Small change, big difference and 5 a day campaigns by encouraging people to eat more fruit and vegetables.

Compared to the programme it is replacing, the Healty Start Scheme offers more flexibility and choice to pregnant women and children under the age of four in low income families, who will now not only be able to use vouchers in exchange for milk, but also for fruit and vegetables.

"Poor diet can have a huge impact on future health. We want to encourage families to eat healthily from the outset and that includes during pregnancy. Healthy Start vouchers will give pregnant women and low income families greater choice and flexibility in what they can buy. This will give children the best possible start in life,"​ said public health minister Caroline Flint.

The current Welfare Food Scheme was introduced in Britain to combat food shortages during the Second World War, offering milk and infant formula to low income families. It currently invloves around 500 retailers and provides 720,000 people in England with milk tokens.

The new scheme has already had nearly 1000 local shops and pharmacies in Devon and Cornwall signing up to it, and over 9,000 women and children using it.

"I am delighted at the success of Healthy Start in Devon and Cornwall and the valuable learning that has been gained. It is enormously important to have a healthy diet, but this can be difficult on a low income,​ said Dr Gabriel Scally, director of public health at NHS South West.

Thanks to this scheme, more than half of those who received the vouchers said that they were now buying more fruit and vegetables than before. As this scheme is rolled out across the country I hope that its success continues to grow,"​ he added.