Scotland to set up new food standards body

The Scottish Government is set to establish a new food standards body, Food Standards Scotland (FSS), which will replace the current food agency.

The Scottish Parliament has unanimously backed the first stage of the Food (Scotland) Bill, STV news reported, while the health committee has already approved it.

Established in 2012, the current Food Standards Agency is responsible for food safety, food standards, nutrition, food labelling, meat inspection policy and operational delivery.

However, the new body will have more powers to engage with diet and nutritional health.

Scotland public health minister Michael Matheson was quoted by Reuters as saying: "The body will be given specific enforcement powers to seize food that does not meet food standards or labelling rules, and it will also be compulsory to report non-compliance with food standards regulations, which cover food fraud."

The new food bill has taken additional steps to guarantee the country’s food safety in the wake of the horsemeat scandal. Last year, a beef burger from a school kitchen in North Lanarkshire tested positive for horse DNA.

However, Unison’s head of bargaining and campaigns Dave Watson told Reuters: "They must legislate for higher standards to ensure the objectives set out in the Bill are achieved."

Meanwhile, The Scottish Government has announced a new partnership with the Scottish Grocers’ Federation to improve food security.