Chamber and committees

The Scottish Government encourages recycling in Aberdeen in the same way that we encourage recycling across the whole of Scotland.

Whether you’re a business or householder, the biggest encouragement to recycle is the availability of a high quality recycling service. This is why we introduced regulations earlier this year to stimulate the roll out of new recycling services to businesses and households across Scotland.

In support of these regulations, a broad program of technical and financial assistance is being provided to businesses and local authorities by Zero Waste Scotland, including the further £1.2 million that I recently announced to support improvements to household waste recycling centres and for improving glass collections.

The Food Standards Agency (FSA) in Scotland is responsible for food safety and standards and for the legislation controlling the sale of raw milk.

The agency is a non-ministerial UK government department operating at arm''s length from ministers. It is governed by a board appointed to act in the public interest. Its policy remit relates to food and feed safety and is wholly devolved. In this context, for the delivery of its functions the agency has responsibilities to the Westminster and devolved administrations.

The FSA board considered the position with respect to the sale of raw milk in the four UK countries in 2005 during its wider consideration of the implementation of the consolidated EU food hygiene legislation, which allows member states to introduce or maintain national rules restricting the placing on the market of raw milk for direct human consumption.

The FSA board agreed that while there was no risk basis for different approaches in the four UK countries with regards to raw drinking milk, it recognised the different historical patterns of consumption and consumer preference across the UK which was reflected in the differing views of stakeholders received during formal consultations, and noted the recommendations for each country.

The recommendation for Scotland reflected the wish of Scottish Ministers, reconfirmed to the agency in 2004, to maintain and extend the ban so that all raw drinking milk sales in Scotland would be prohibited.

Since the Food Standards Agency inherited policy responsibility for this matter in 2000, it has received correspondence from five individual members of the public expressing support for the sale of raw drinking milk. In addition it has received five pieces of ministerial correspondence where concerns have been raised about the current ban and restrictions on access to raw cow''s drinking milk.

The agency has carried out three major public consultations on this matter during this time where, on each occasion, over 700 key stakeholder''s views were sought. On each of these occasions, no representations were received supporting the removal of the existing ban.

The agency responsibility for this policy started from 2000 and therefore we do not hold all of the data requested for each year since 1980.

However, the data which is available to the Food Standards Agency suggests that the numbers of cases of foodborne disease associated with the consumption of milk and cream have decreased significantly since the ban was introduced in 1983.

Published studies carried out in Scotland between 1980 and 1985 (Sharp JCM., Milk and dairy products, PHLS Microbiological Digest, 1986; 3: 28-9.) indicated that, in 1981, there were 782 cases of food-borne disease associated with all milk and cream, including three deaths, and in 1982, there were 539 cases, including one death. From 1983 (when the ban on the sale of raw milk was introduced), the number of cases decreased, with 29 cases recorded in 1983, 27 in 1984 and 74 in 1985. The majority of cases recorded during 1983 to 1985 occurred in the farming community. Please see the following table with data from 1980 to 1995.

Outbreaks of Foodborne Diseases In Scotland Associated With Raw Milk 1980 to 1995

Year	Numbers of Outbreaks	Numbers Affected By Illness (Deaths)
1980	3	98 (4)
1981	8	782 (3)
1982	14	539 (1)
1983	7	29
1984	5	27
1985	8	74
1986	2	10
1987	5	30
1988	1	4
1989	0	0
1990	2	6
1991	4	17
1992	2	6
1993	0	0
1994	0	0
1995	No reports received	/

Subsequent surveillance data has been obtained from Health Protection Scotland (HPS) through their ObSurv surveillance system which has recorded general outbreaks (i.e. two or more linked cases including members of more than one household, or residents of an institution) of infectious intestinal disease since 1996. This reported two outbreaks between 1996 and 2010 where raw milk was the suspected vehicle. These involved illness in four people in 1998 attributed to Salmonella Typhimurium and illness in three people in 1999 due to E.coli O157. No deaths were recorded.

In addition to ObSurv, HPS''s enhanced surveillance of Verotoxigenic E.coli (VTEC), was established in 1999, and collects information on sporadic (i.e. unlinked) cases of VTEC and exposures to known risk factors. Data between 1999-2010 (including provisional figures for 2010), indicated 11 cases of VTEC 0157( all of whom had contact with farms) which were reported to have consumed raw milk, although it should be noted that raw milk was only one of the potential risk factors for these cases and therefore cannot be confirmed as the direct cause of illness. Ten of these 11 cases were residents of private farms. HPS is not aware that any of these cases died as a result of their infections. None of these cases were part of the general outbreaks referred to in the previous paragraph.

Under the consolidated EU hygiene rules, which took effect from on 1 January 2006, member states were able to introduce or maintain national rules prohibiting or restricting the placing on the market, within its territory, of raw milk or raw cream. Regulation 32 and Schedule 6 of the Food Hygiene (Scotland) Regulations 2006 prohibits the placing on the market of raw milk and raw cream, for direct human consumption.

These regulations are enforced by Scotland''s 32 local food authorities.

In March 2004, the Food Standards Agency (FSA) in Scotland consulted with approximately 700 Scottish stakeholders on the European Commission proposals to consolidate and simplify EU food hygiene legislation. In total 26 Scottish stakeholders responded to this consultation of which nine commented specifically on Article 10(8) of EC Regulation No 2/2004, which allowed member states to maintain or establish national rules prohibiting the sale of raw milk or raw cream direct for human consumption. All nine Scottish stakeholders were in favour of retaining the ban in Scotland.

Approximately 700 Scottish stakeholders were consulted on the draft Food Hygiene Regulations (Scotland) consultation held in October 2004.

A total of 16 responses received were in favour of retaining the ban and in support of regulation 32 Schedule 6 providing restrictions on the placing on the market of raw milk and raw cream. Nine responses were from Scottish local authorities.

Two responses were received from food liaison groups (Lothian and Borders and West of Scotland) and three were from NHS service areas (Lothian, Highland and Dumfries and Galloway). Responses were also received from a hospitality association (British Hospitality Association) and from the Scottish Food Advisory Committee. All responses fully supported the retention of the raw milk and cream ban in Scotland.

FSA in Scotland did not receive any responses from Scottish stakeholders opposing the raw milk ban in Scotland.

In September 2005, approximately 700 Scottish stakeholders were again consulted on a further draft Food Hygiene (Scotland) (No 2) Regulations. On this occasion two responses were received - one from the NHS National Services Scotland and one from the food liaison group (Lothian and Borders). Both reinforced the importance on public health grounds of retaining the raw milk and cream ban in Scotland. FSA Scotland again did not receive comments from Scottish stakeholders opposing the ban in Scotland.

From 2005-2008, FSA in Scotland received 3 letters from the Haemolytic Uraemic Syndrome Help (HUSH)* UK E-coli support group. The correspondence from HUSH supported the ban on raw drinking milk and raised concerns about the sale of raw milk for the use in raw milk products such as unpasteurised cheese and the labelling of unpasteurised cheeses.

In September 2000 an E.coli Task Force was appointed by the then Minister for Health and Community Care, Susan Deacon, under the joint sponsorship of the FSA in Scotland and the then Scottish Executive Health Department to examine the sources of E.coli O157 and the risks and measures to avoid or minimise exposure to infection.

In 2000-01, the task force received representations from the Scottish Food Co-ordinating Committee, HUSH and the Advisory Committee on the Microbiological Safety of Food and they all supported the continued application of the Scottish ban and proposed the introduction of compulsory pasteurisation of raw cow''s milk in England and Wales.

This task force published its report in October 2001 focusing mainly on the Scottish situation. It examined the foods associated with outbreaks of E.coli 0157, including the consumption of raw milk on farm in Scotland. The task force recommended that all raw drinking milk for sale in England and Wales should be heat treated and that the pasteurisation process should be extended to include all raw milk from other species such raw sheep and goat''s milk.

Note: * HUSH charitable organisation was set up in 1997 following the outbreak of E.coli 0157 in central Scotland (Wishaw) where 20 people died and there were 497 reported cases. HUSH aims to increase public awareness of E.Coli 0157, to disseminate information to avoid infection, to increase public awareness of E.coli 0157 and to encourage the Government to decrease the cases of E.coli 0157.

The Food Standards Agency in Scotland is responsible for food safety and standards and for the legislation controlling the sale of raw milk.

In 2004 and 2005, three public consultations were carried out on the EU proposals and on the draft Food Hygiene Regulations and included a restriction on the placing on the market of raw cow''s drinking milk intended for direct human consumption. Scottish Government colleagues within the Scottish Executive Rural Affairs Department, the Scottish Environmental Protection Agency, Scottish Executive Development Department and the Scottish Executive Health Department and the Scottish Parliament were consulted. No adverse comments were received.

The Food Standards Agency in Scotland is responsible for food safety and standards and for the legislation controlling the sale of raw milk.

The ban, which was first introduced in 1983 has subsequently been reviewed in 1995, 1998 and most recently in 2004 as part of the EU wide review of food hygiene controls. The Minister''s position in 2004 was informed by a wide ranging public consultation. At each of these reviews the evidence provided supported the policy decision to maintain the ban.

In 2004 Scottish ministers reconfirmed their wish to maintain the ban. The ban in Scotland offers a high level of public health protection and has marked a decline in milk-related illness, which has been maintained in subsequent years.

The Food Standards Agency (FSA) in Scotland is responsible for food safety and standards and for the legislation controlling the sale of raw milk. The FSA in Scotland considers that the ban represents the appropriate risk management option for Scotland and has no plans at present to review the prohibition of the sale of raw drinking milk and raw cream.