New Scottish watchdog to oversee food safety and standards

Published on 27/06/2012 12:00

A NEW national watchdog to police food safety standards in Scotland is to be created, it was announced today.

It follows a move to pare down the responsibilities of the current UK-wide Food Standards Agency south fo the border.

Holyrood ministers have now agreed to create a new Scottish body for food safety, food standards, nutrition, food labelling and meat inspection.

Public Health Minister Michael Matheson said: “The changes in England removed significant capacity in the FSA’s nutrition and labelling functions for Scotland and needed to be addressed.

“A new body will allow a Scottish approach to be taken to tackle poor diet and food-borne diseases and should support our food and drink industry in growing its strong, international reputation for safe, quality food.”

The move follows the recommendations of the Scudamore review, which was commissioned by the Scottish Government as a result of the UK Government’s decision to move responsibility for nutrition and food labelling in England from the Food Standards Agency to the Department of Health and the Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs in 2010.

The new body will be at arms-length from the Scottish Government and a name will be chosen after a consultation later in the year. Its creation will require new laws to be passed at Holyrood.