Author: Peacock Carter

In Scotland the Scottish Government works with a wide range of local and national organisations to prepare for all kinds of emergencies and to support emergency response.  The Ready Scotland website provides details of how Scotland are tackling the coronavirus outbreak and gives the opportunity to sign up as a volunteer and offer your support to help your community in this pandemic.  Ready Scotland will coordinate volunteers and work with various charities to ensure the voluntary work is focused in the areas of most need. 

The website is available here. 

The Health and Safety Executive and the Partnership on Health and Safety in Scotland (PHASS) have produced a joint statement with regarding to safe working – especially those continuing to attend a place of work away from their homes is intended to clarify the position. 

The statement is as follows:

“The health and safety of workers remains paramount. Employers must continue to provide workers with information about risks to their health and the actions their employers must take.

We have high expectations of how fair work principles should be applied during the current crisis. This means an approach where workers, trade unions and employers work together constructively to reach the right decisions on all workplace issues that arise throughout this crisis.  The dimensions of fair work as defined by the Fair Work Convention: effective voice; security; respect; opportunity and fulfilment, applied to the current context, offer a framework for taking these decisions.

Social distancing is a key public health measure supported by the Scottish Government to reduce the spread of infection but certain businesses are required to close by law.  Businesses unsure of the guidance should visit: https://www.gov.scot/news/social-distancing-guidance-for-business/.  Those that can safely stay open, keeping the country running, must also follow government guidance.

Most employers are going to great lengths to ensure social distancing.  PHASS wishes to publicly support these efforts.  But if it comes to the HSE’s attention that employers are not complying with the relevant public heath guidance (by enabling social distancing when it is practical to do so before personal protective measures), HSE will consider a range of actions ranging from providing specific advice to employers through to issuing enforcement notices, including prohibition notices.  Local authorities also have enforcement powers in specific premises under health and safety legislation and also powers – including to be able to close non-essential businesses – under new public health Coronavirus legislation in Scotland.

Where a worker has a genuine concern about health and safety which cannot be resolved through speaking with their employer or trade union, they should contact the relevant enforcement agency – either their local authority, or the HSE through https://www.hse.gov.uk/contact/concerns.htm”

I hope this message finds everyone well and coping as best you can since the country went in to lockdown as a control measure to help combat the COVID-19 pandemic.

Like most people, other than identified Key Workers that require to attend work, I have been working from home. It does take a bit of getting used to.  I want to let you know that everyone is impacted and what we are doing as an organisation. 

The Royal Environmental Health Institute of Scotland (REHIS) along with the Environmental Health community and others across the country have been impacted by the current COVID-19 pandemic.

Ahead of the full lockdown announced by both the UK and Scottish Governments on the evening of Monday 23 March 2020, the Institute through its staff and elected Council Members had already started to look at and implement alternative ways of working and providing a service, while helping to reduce the potential spread of illness.  This was immediately reviewed again at that time.  REHIS staff are currently working from home as far as possible. Regular contact, through various electronic means, is being maintained with all staff based at home.

Below is a summary of the activities being undertaken by the Institute:

·       The vast majority of work of the Institute continues with office staff based from home.  Recent progress to the use of 'Cloud' based storage systems for electronic files has facilitated this.

·       Anyone contacting the REHIS office by phone will hear a message advising any enquirers to email their query to contact@, queries are forwarded to the relevant person.

·       Responses to queries from members of the public, other organisations, Students/Graduate Trainees, colleagues including training centres are continuing to be provided without interruption.

·       Ongoing, active, work with the two accredited university courses, in relation to the REHIS Diploma in Environmental Health, is continuing by electronic means.

·       Registration of new students onto Scottish Food Safety Officer Registration Board (SFSORB) Higher Certificate qualifications and REHIS Diploma in Environmental Health, including provision of appropriate documentation has continued as normal.

·       The Institute’s Committee meetings with elected members are being conducted virtually by Skype.

·       Institute representatives are continuing with virtual meetings including for example;   Partnership Health and Safety in Scotland (PHASS), Scottish Food Enforcement Liaison Committee (SFELC) and a joint meeting with the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) and the Society of Chief Officers of Environmental Health in Scotland.

·       REHIS Approved Training Centres continuing to deliver REHIS Food Hygiene courses at Introduction, Elementary and Intermediate levels by e-Learning.

·       The Institute implemented contingency plans to allow Approved Training Centres to deliver live classes through video conferencing services such as Zoom or Skype for example.

·       REHIS Community Training Examiners are continuing to conduct live virtual oral examinations for Advanced Food Hygiene and Health and Safety courses.  Written examinations are being invigilated by live web cameras.

·       The Food Hygiene Secondary Schools Initiative has been issued digitally to schools to allow pupils to complete the course through homeworking.

·       REHIS e-alerts and newsletters are ongoing to keep members up to date

REHIS is aware through the roles undertaken by REHIS Office Bearers, Elected Council Members & the wider Membership and it partner organisations such as the Society of Chief Officers of Environmental Health in Scotland, Local Authorities and Approved Training centres that the COVID-19 Pandemic has significantly impacted the normal day to day activities of the Environmental Health profession and community in Scotland and elsewhere.

From personal experience I can report that Environmental Health and Trading Standards staff in Scotland’s Local Authorities have stepped up to the various challenges presented by the current pandemic.  This has included a joint expert panel for Local Authority regulatory activities in terms of the Health Protection (Coronavirus) (Restrictions) (Scotland) Regulations 2020 has been set up under the auspices of both Professions Chief Officer Organisations. I am are also aware that a number of Local Authorities including their Environmental Health Teams are providing information to their communities via their websites and social media channels. 

Advice and information regarding coronavirus can be found online including at: 

·       NHS Inform

·       Health Protection Scotland

·       Scottish Government

·       Food Standards Scotland

·       Health and Safety Executive

As a thank you to all Key Workers, everyone please stay safe and follow the guidelines in place to help protect us all.

Lisa McCann

President

Food Standards Scotland have updated their question and answer section for food business to accompany their guidance for food businesses on how to apply COVID- 19 control measures.

The updates are to the question and answers for food businesses, in particular this includes further detail on cleaning and disinfection.

The question and answers for food business is available here. 

The guidance is available here. 

A UK survey, which analysed both the sugar and calorie content of the largest available sizes of hot chocolates and seasonal lattes made with milk and milk alternatives by popular high street chains, allegedly revealed that certain seasonal beverages contain almost as much sugar as three cans of cola.

Many UK high street coffee chains are failing to make progress towards the government’s voluntary sugar reduction targets (overseen by Public Health England) with their festive milk and milk alternative hot beverages – most of which would be eligible for the Soft Drinks Industry Levy – according to a new nationwide survey by Action on Sugar, based at Queen Mary University of London.

The survey, which analysed both the sugar and calorie content of the largest available sizes of hot chocolates and seasonal lattes made with milk and milk alternatives (such as oat, almond, coconut, soya and rice-coconut) by popular high street chains, revealed certain seasonal beverages contain almost as much sugar as three cans of cola. Furthermore, all of the largest available size products surveyed would reportedly receive a red traffic light for total sugars (>13.5g/portion) – the exception being Costa’s Gingerbread Lattes (Medio) (made either with milk, soya or almond milk).

According to the survey findings, the worst hot chocolate ‘offender’ was Starbucks Signature Caramel Hot Chocolate with whipped cream, using Oat Milk (Venti). This beverage reportedly contained 23 teaspoons (93.7g) of sugar in one drink, and 758 calories – what Action on Sugar described as the same as eating four Tesco white chocolate and strawberry muffins.

Caffe Nero’s Salted Caramel Hot Chocolate (Grande) made with skimmed reportedly contained almost 15 teaspoons of sugar (59.6g) and 503 calories.

The survey revealed that Starbucks also ranked the highest for seasonal lattes with its Gingerbread Latte with Oat Milk allegedly containing over 14 teaspoons of sugar (56.6g) and 523 calories per portion – the equivalent of eating 17 custard cream biscuits, Action on Sugar reported. If the same hot beverage was served with their almond milk instead of their oat milk, Action on Sugar said that this would reduce the sugar content by 4.5 teaspoons of sugar (18g).

Even without the added sugar from syrups, the sugar content of milk alternatives was said to vary greatly. Unsweetened milk alternatives are said to be naturally similar or lower in sugars than cow’s milk and Action on Sugar has argued that using sugar-sweetened milks as well as sugary syrups is unnecessary. 

Despite being called upon for their high sugar content in Action on Sugar’s hot beverage survey in 2016, more than one in four (27 percent) directly comparable products are said to have seen no decrease in sugar but have instead increased. In 2016, a regular Vanilla Latte in KFC reportedly had 19g sugar per serve but now has 26g sugar per serve. However, a KFC regular Mocha has reduced sugar from 45.1g per serve to 21g per serve, showing no consistency in its reformulation process, argued Action on Sugar.

“It is shocking that so many high street coffee chains are wilfully putting their customers’ health at risk despite sugar reduction targets for sugary milk drinks being set in 2018. Responsible coffee shops have shown reformulation is possible within this category. For example, Costa have made some significant reductions in sugar since 2016 and some now offer smaller sizes as standard for seasonal drinks,” said Holly Gabriel, Registered Nutritionist at Action on Sugar. 

“Coffee shops and cafes need to take much greater steps to reduce the levels of sugar and portion sizes, promote lower sugar alternatives and stop pushing indulgent extras at the till.”

Graham MacGregor, Professor of Cardiovascular Medicine at Queen Mary University of London and Chairman of Action on Sugar, added: “It is vital that whichever government is in power next week fully commits to the target to halve childhood obesity by 2030, and to the current agreed Childhood Obesity Plan Chapter. This will mean giving full control to PHE to deliver a robust prevention programme and the authority to ensure that a largely irresponsible food industry fully complies – and that must include taxing these sugary milk-based drinks in the same way as soft drinks.”

In the current Coronavirus pandemic, Food Standards Scotland have asked for assistance that could be provided to them and their Official veterinarians, by qualified meat hygiene inspectors across Scotland.

If you are suitably qualified and would be interested please contact the Operational Delivery team at Food Standards Scotland directly via email at operations@fss.scot with brief details of your qualification and experience.

Please keep in touch and let us know how you are getting on during this pandemic and how your work is adapting to the COVID 19 pandemic.

It will be great to share any best practice with the Environmental Health community in Scotland and recognise those who are going above beyond.

The feedback will be published in April’s Newsletter at the end of the month.

Please email sg@.

The Society of Chief Officers of Environmental Health in Scotland (SoCOEHS) were approached by COSLA regarding potential enforcement of the Health Protection (Coronavirus) (Restrictions) (Scotland) Regulations 2020 and confirmed support of these powers. SoCOEHS has been working hard, liaising with Society of Chief Officers of Trading Standards in Scotland (SCOTSS), to agree a consistent approach and has been in discussions with COSLA, SOLACE and Police Scotland. This is a significant public health measure and the SoCOEHS, through the Chair, believe that the environmental health profession, working with colleagues, has a key role to play. In a short period of time a Governance Group has been established, which comprises Alan Morrison, Brian Lawrie, the Chair/Vice Chair of SCOTTS, and COSLA, and Brian is leading a subgroup looking at the detail of the work. Key actions to date are:

• All 32 local authorities have arrangements in place to authorise officers (principally environmental health and trading standards professionals) to enforce the provisions of the Regulations, and in particular Regulations 3 and 4 as they relate to premises and social distancing.
• All 32 local authorities have agreed, in principle, the enforcement approach of Engage, Explain, Encourage and Enforcement, with the move to enforcement where public health is compromised or there is no cooperation by business.
• There is work ongoing at a local authority level in preparedness of the new duties.
• There has been liaison with Police Scotland at a local level and in some instances, (North and South Lanarkshire), formal memorandums put in place
• Contact has been established with the single point of contact in Police Scotland Policy Unit and will maintain these relationships, in order to promote consistency and partnership working.
• The SoCOEH and SCOTTS have an agreed approach to these requirements and have established a working group which will seek to promote a common approach across Scotland. Already this has agreed a format for a Prohibition Notice and is preparing other guidance and examples of best practice. The group will also develop reporting datasets which will demonstrate the important work and outcomes being delivered.
• Some issues or difficulties with the practical application of the Regulations have been identified and its important that these are directly fed into any review.
• COSLA agreed that the established SOCOEHS/SCOTSS working group are the experts in respect of legislative scrutiny, and they should be the ones to liaise with Scottish Government.

This provides an opportunity for environmental health to demonstrate our effectiveness in delivering effective public health controls and working in partnership to deliver these measures.

For further information, please contact your Chief EHO as things will have developed by the time you read this article, or alternatively Alan Morrison or Brian Lawrie at the SoCOEH.

Keep up to date with the coronavirus situation in Scotland through the Scottish Government website. 

The website is available here. 

The Health and Safety Executive has produced guidance on Social Distancing, keeping businesses open and in work activities during the coronavirus outbreak.

The guidance is available here.

Food Standards Scotland has published guidance which has been developed to address questions raised by the food industry in Scotland on how to apply the COVID-19 control measures in food manufacturing and processing premises. The guidance has been structured in a way that enables individual businesses to assess their ability to implement requirements for preventing the spread of COVID-19 in their premises and protect their staff from infection, including ways that they can apply physical (social) distancing in food production and communal areas.

The guidance is available here. 

REHIS Spring 2020 edition is now available.

The e-magazine format is more user friendly and offers greater functionality with hyperlinks connecting to other websites and the contents page connecting to a selected article. There is also a page turning function feature.

The e-magazine format is openable and readable here.

The pdf format can be downloaded here.