Chamber and committees

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.

We are aware of the UK Government’s planned secondary legislation following its Genetic Technologies (Precision Breeding) Act 2023 and are looking carefully at the implications of their proposals. As our closest trading partner, any changes in England may have implications for Scottish businesses.

Regulation of genetic modification is an area of devolved responsibility, and the Scottish Government expects full cooperation from the UK Government in matters where any related legislation will impact upon the interests of Scottish businesses and consumers.

The views of stakeholders in Scotland – scientists, farmers, food producers, but especially, consumers and the public as a whole – will inform any future changes in relation to the regulation of genetic technologies in Scotland. On 27 March we will hold a roundtable event to better understand the views and concerns of stakeholders.

Food Standards Scotland (FSS) provides an annual training programme for Local Authority Food Enforcement Officers. This includes the following courses listed:

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.

Head Office staff:

Permanent: 151 (95.6%)
Temporary: 7 (4.4%)
Field staff:

Permanent: 117 (89.9%)
Temporary: 13 (10.1%)
Total:
Permanent: 268 (93.1%)
Temporary: 20 (6.9%)

Local Authorities regulate food labelling standards. The data FSS holds on food standards interventions indicates that there have been 1209 contravention letters, detention and seizure notices, advice letters and Compliance notices relating to food standards law from 2018 to end of January 2025. FSS does not hold breakdown data on the nature of these breaches.

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) 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.

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.

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