Chamber and committees

The responsibility for the safe production of food lies with the food business operator. Food Standards Scotland (FSS) supports food businesses with provision of guidance, tools and advice. Local authorities are also supported by way of Codes of practice, guidance, training and ongoing engagement.

FSS also provides an annual training programme for Local Authority Food Enforcement Officers. This includes the courses listed below:

REHIS Advanced HACCP

Enforcement Sanctions

Training on the Scottish National database and Food Law Rating System

HACCP in Speciality cheesemaking

Shellfish Depuration

Food Microbiology

Predictive modelling and shelf-life challenge testing

Official Control Verification methodology and practice

IFSP Counterfeit Spirits

TACCP (Threat Assessment and Critical Control Point, focuses on threats and aims to prevent malicious threats to food, such as sabotage, extortion, or terrorism.)

In addition, FSS provides an annual training session for student Environmental Health officers.

The Food Standards Scotland (FSS) website provides a range of curriculum for excellence linked resources to support educators develop lesson plans and deliver food safety and healthy eating messages.

Food safety & healthy eating education | Food Standards Scotland | Food Standards Scotland

In addition, FSS provide a free, online healthy eating tutorial which aims to provide an introduction to nutrition for people who may be required to provide healthy eating messages to others as part of their job. This could include those working in health and social care, education, community groups, local authorities, retail, catering and/or food manufacturing. This tutorial may also be of interest to consumers who want to learn more about healthy eating.

Healthy Eating Tutorial | Food Standards Scotland

FSS has integrated food crime and fraud awareness into its core communications strategy, using the following approaches:

Raising Visibility of the Scottish Food Crime Unit (SFCIU):

Promotion of the Food Crime Hotline and online reporting channels to encourage the public and businesses to report suspicious food activity.

Case studies and briefings to highlight real-world examples of food fraud.
Stakeholder engagement, including industry awareness sessions and political briefings.

Public Campaigns & Social Media Communications:

Targeted digital content to help consumers recognise fraudulent food products.
Messaging around how to spot and report food fraud, making information accessible and easy to act upon.

Collaboration with Industry & Enforcement Partners:

Working with retailers, local authorities, and law enforcement to increase intelligence-sharing and raise awareness of compliance obligations.
Development of the food crime profiling tool for businesses to assess risk and strengthen food supply chain integrity.

Incident Response & Consumer Protection:

Food crime incidents are managed through FSS’s incident framework and the incident comms plan, ensuring timely public updates and preventing misinformation. Cross-agency coordination with UK and international bodies to take swift action on food fraud cases affecting Scotland.

Through these targeted communication efforts, FSS ensures that both consumers and businesses understand the risks of food fraud, know how to identify it, and are empowered to report concerns effectively.

Food Standards Scotland (FSS) advocate the UK wide reformulation programme, managed by the Office of Health Improvement and Disparities, which has voluntary targets for industry to reduce levels of sugar, salt and calories in commonly consumed foods. They regularly report on progress, with the most recent publication in 2024.

In Scotland, Scottish Government funds the Reformulation for Health Programme which is managed by Food and Drink Federation Scotland. Since 2019, the programme has support SMEs operating in Scotland to take steps to improve the nutritional content of their food, including reductions in fat, sugar and salt. Examples of the success of the programme can be found via this link. FSS supports the Reformulation for Health Programme, including as a Reformul8 Partner, and through provision of grant funding to support businesses to undertake reformulation.

Food Standards Scotland (FSS) manages talent strategically to build a high performing workplace and commitment within the People Strategy 2022 - 2026 to build a high performing workforce and foster a climate of learning. FSS has demonstrated a commitment to investing in its people through offering a diverse range of learning activities. Employees and Line Managers are encouraged to make effective use of Personal Development Planning by utilising personal learning plans. FSS offers mandatory learning for all staff across a broad range of topics including HSE, Data Protection, Inclusive Culture, Diversity and Inclusion and learning is accessed across a range of available platforms including SG Pathways, Civil Service Learning and Essential Skills. A range of inhouse learning has been developed including face to face and e-learning packages. In 2024, FSS undertook a skills audit to support in identifying skills gaps and to ensure that our staff are offered the opportunity engage in activities to enhance their own development including job shadowing, project work and to work with new colleagues to gain new experiences. Leadership and Management Development opportunities have also been offered to our staff to ensure that we develop our talent and equip managers with the right skills and experience to effectively lead and manage their teams.

SGORR’s information security is guided, like information security in all other parts of Scottish Government, by three key principles: confidentiality (information is classified correctly following government guidance), integrity (information is verified and comes from a reputable source), and availability (it is stored securely on Government systems, can only be accessed by those who have the right to see it, and is only shared where appropriate).

The National Centre for Remote and Rural Health and Care is working with Health Boards and Health and Social Care partnerships to drive improvements in sustainability, and the capability of remote, rural and island primary and community care services, avoiding a one size fits all approach.

Their work includes programmes to enhance the education and training for multi-disciplinary teams working in rural and island areas, as well as evaluation of new ways of delivering improved primary and community care health services in partnership with practitioners, citizens and partner agencies.

The National Centre for Remote and Rural Health and Care has developed a new training programme and supervisory training hub for Rural Advanced Practitioners and is developing a community training hub pilot to increase the amount of training taking place in remote, rural and island primary and community healthcare settings.

Further details on the work of the National Centre can be found here: National Centre for Remote and Rural Health and Care: Information Hub | Turas | Learn

The Scottish Government currently has no plans in place to implement mobile care units for rural areas across Scotland. It would be for NHS Boards to determine best use of available resources and implement this initiative locally, should they feel the service meets the needs of their local population.