Chamber and committees

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. Food Standards Scotland supports the Reformulation for Health Programme, including as a Reformul8 Partner, and through provision of grant funding to support businesses to undertake reformulation.

The Food Crime and Incidents Unit currently have 23 members of staff compared to 14 members of staff in 2018.

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.

The Scottish Government Resilience Room (SGORR) provides Scottish Ministers and senior officials with situational awareness, enabling them to make informed strategic decisions on the Scottish Government’s response to civil contingencies emergencies. SGORR provides this situational awareness, using relevant facilities, by supplying written and verbal briefings, organising meetings at official or ministerial level and making connections across and outside the Scottish Government, with SGORR working closely with responders at all levels in Scotland and with the UK Government where relevant to the response.

I refer the member to the answer to the question S6W-34075 on 18 February 2025. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers

In addition to the training provided, FSS attends and provides the Secretariat function to the Scottish Food Enforcement Liaison Group. The details of this Committee can be found here: Scottish Food Enforcement Liaison Committee (SFELC) | Food Standards Scotland. FSS attends the Local Authority Food Liaison Groups meetings and establishes working groups to discuss in greater depth areas of food law that require focus and direction. FSS supports and works in partnership with the Professional bodies representing Environmental Health and Food Safety Officers.

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.

The Scottish Government Resilience Room (SGORR) is the Scottish Government’s central co-ordination mechanism for responding to civil contingencies emergencies. SGORR activates when and for as long as the severity and complexity of an emergency is such that urgent co-ordination, support or strategic direction from or within the Scottish Government is required and cannot be provided effectively through business-as-usual structures or other Scottish Government response mechanisms. Incidents which may meet this threshold include but are not restricted to severe weather events; terrorist attacks; pandemics; significant disruption to the supply of essential services/utilities or large-scale public disorder.

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.