Chief executive Michelle Carruthers believes a commission should be created to ensure Scots do not go hungry.
She was among the experts who signed a letter to Public Health Minister Maree Todd calling for an independent food commission to be set up under the Good Food Nation Bill.
The Food Train is currently carrying out research into the impact of the cost of living crisis on older people – with a previous study suggesting that as many as 30 per cent of over-65s are already at risk of becoming malnourished.
Ms Carruthers said: “We need action – and now. The cost of living crisis is deepening the under-recognised problem of worrying numbers of older people who struggle to eat properly. Many are at risk of becoming seriously ill, adding to the significant strains on our NHS and social care system.
“We have older people telling us that they are eating less, or having fewer warm meals, so they can pay rising bills. That’s scandalous, making what’s already an alarming problem even worse.
“The creation of an independent food commission could go a long way to tackling problems around food security and some of the injustices in our social care system. MSPs must seize the opportunity they have now to ensure this happens. It’s no exaggeration to say that lives depend upon it.”
