Author: Peacock Carter

Scotland is the first country in the UK to announce its plans for a deposit return scheme for drinks containers.

Scotland’s new Deposit Return Scheme will include aluminium and steel cans as well as drinks containers made of glass and Polyethylene terephthalate (PET) plastic with a 20p deposit as part of plans to combat climate change.

The ambitious scheme is based on successful international equivalents and will be widely accessible, with all shops which sell drinks offering deposit refunds to customers.

Consumers will pay a 20p deposit when they buy a drink in a single-use container. The consumers get their deposit back when they return the empty bottle or can. 

The scheme will operate across Scotland from cities to rural areas. Online retailers are also included in the scheme.

All types of drinks and all containers above 50ml and up to three litres in size are included.

Businesses that sell drinks to be opened and consumed on-site, such as pubs and restaurants, will not have to charge the deposit to the public.

There will be two ways you can return your empty container – over the counter, or by using a reverse vending machine (RVM). 

An RVM is a machine that scans containers when they are returned and then refunds your deposit. 

There will be a range of ways you can get your 20p back, for example cash at a till, a token or discount voucher or digitally. The returned containers are stored in the machine and are then collected for recycling.

As well as retailers and hospitality businesses, schools and other community hubs will be able to act as return locations.

Community organisations will also have the opportunity to get involved as collection points. The scheme has been designed to be as accessible as possible to people.

It’s intended that the scheme be run by an independent, privately-run, not-for-profit company. It will be paid for through three sources of funding: unredeemed deposits, revenue from the sale of materials and a producer fee. 

The Scottish Government intends to introduce legislation later this year. Once the regulations are passed by the Scottish Parliament, there will then be an implementation period of at least 12 months before the scheme is up and running. 

An Implementation Advisory Group, comprising industry representatives, has been set up to provide industry input and guidance on delivering an effective scheme, as well as testing assumptions and decisions about how it is delivered.

Environment Secretary Roseanna Cunningham said:

“Scotland was the first part of the UK to commit to a deposit return scheme as part of our wider efforts to prevent discarded drinks containers from ending up in our streets and seas, and is now the first to outline its design – one that is ambitious in scale and scope, and which gives the people of Scotland a clear and straightforward way to do their bit for the environment.

“There is a global climate emergency and people across Scotland have been calling, rightly, for more ambition to tackle it and safeguard our planet for future generations. I am therefore delighted to confirm that I intend to implement a system covering PET – the most common form of plastic packaging – aluminum and steel cans, and glass, with a deposit refund set at 20p.

“Supported by international evidence our plans for Scotland’s Deposit Return Scheme are gathering pace with widespread consensus demonstrating that a well-run, appropriately-targeted scheme could improve the environment, change attitudes to recycling and litter, and support a more circular economy.”

For more information about the scheme, please visit the online hub for Scotland’s Deposit Return Scheme.

The health claims made on the product packaging for a large proportion of foods marketed to children in the UK are 'confusing', and could be contributing to increases rates of childhood obesity, suggests research published online in the journal Archives of Disease in Childhood.

University of Glasgow researchers examined products with child-focused imagery and health and nutrition claims on the product packaging.

332 different products, including breakfast cereals, fruit snacks, fruit-based drinks, dairy products, such as yogurts, and ready meals were assessed, including 41 brands, sold at seven major UK supermarkets between 2016 and 2017. 

The researchers used a scoring system, made up of seven elements — energy; total sugars; saturated fat; salt; fruit/vegetables/nuts; fibre; protein — from the product labelling information, to classify the nutritional quality of foods.

The calculations showed that a large proportion of the products, including those commonly perceived as 'healthy' (41%), were classified as 'less healthy,' by the tool scoring system.

Fruit snacks were found to contain the highest sugar content, averaging 48 g/100 g, but still made the 5-a day claim.

Nearly a quarter of the products, most of which were fruit based drinks and snacks, made 'no added sugars' claims. But half had concentrated juice or fruit puree as the added ingredients.

The researchers write: "Processed fruits are perceived by the public as a healthy natural alternative to added sugars, but because of the breakdown of the cellular structure they potentially have the same negative effect on weight gain as other forms of sugar, which is why they have recently been classified as free sugars in the UK." 

Many products (over 41%) made 5-a day claims, most of which were fruit drinks, ready meals, and fruit snacks. Processed fruit, concentrated fruit juice, or puree appeared as ingredients in nearly half (just over 44%) of these products.

But despite most (82%) of them claiming to contain one portion of fruit or vegetables, three out of four didn't contain the recommended 80 g portion size. And half of the products making 5-a day claims didn't specify whether these were adult or child size portions.

The serving size for most (nearly 95%) fruit-based drinks exceeded the recommended 150 ml limit for fruit juice, yet the fruit and vegetable portions for most products were below the recommended portion size.

The researchers now urge for stricter regulations are needed for food labelling and product content to lessen this risk, urge the researchers.

While steps have been taken to control the advertising to children of products high in fat and sugar, such as sweets, chocolates and sugar sweetened drinks, rather less attention has been paid to other foods carrying product packaging claims suggesting that they contribute to good health/nutrition, say the researchers.

Child-focused marketing techniques, using cartoon characters, toys, games and promotions have long been an advertising staple. However, the researchers note that the use of health and nutrition claims for particular foodstuffs is a more recent trend. They said that when such claims are made, they create a positive impression, a phenomenon known as the 'health halo effect'.

The researchers caution that while they tried to include as representative a sample of products as possible, some may have been missed, and they were obliged to estimate the content of some products in the absence of adequate ingredient information on the packaging.

But the findings indicate that "health and nutrition claims used on product packaging are currently confusing," they say.

"Prepacked foods targeted to children can be consumed as part of a 'balanced and healthy' diet, yet their health and nutrition claims remain questionable. Given the current rising rates of childhood obesity, the consumption of less healthy foods may have long term negative implications on child health." write the researchers.

"Stricter regulations on product composition, food labelling, and marketing techniques are required to discourage the promotion of foods which might be considered obesogenic," they conclude.

Renewable electricity generation in Scotland reached record levels in 2018. The latest figures from the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) show, the equivalent of 74.6% of gross electricity consumption was from renewable sources.

Generation in Scotland was 26,708 GWh, a 6.1% increase on the previous record in 2017. This output of electricity is the equivalent of powering all households in Scotland for more than two-and-a-half years.

The latest statistics also show:

• the growth of Scotland’s renewable electricity capacity continues – rising from 10.0 GW in 2017 to 10.9 GW in 2018
• 2018 saw a big increase in electricity generated via offshore wind, with capacity and generation both more than doubling compared to 2017. Generation increased from 616 GWh in 2017 to 1,369 GWh in 2018. Capacity has increased from 246 MW to 623 MW

Scotland’s Energy Minister Paul Wheelhouse said:
“These figures show Scotland’s renewable energy sector continues to go from strength to strength. Last year, we were able to meet the equivalent of 74.6% of our electricity demand from renewable sources.

“Last year we saw the growing importance of offshore wind with capacity and generation both more than doubling compared to 2017 – with further projects under construction.

“Despite damaging policy changes from the UK Government since 2015, particularly in terms of impacts on onshore wind, we continue to provide strong support for Scotland’s renewable energy sector. Generation and infrastructure investment continues, not least because of the importance in preventing the damaging impacts of climate change.

“We will ensure the correct strategic decisions are taken to further support this highly valued sector, despite the difficulties created by unhelpful decisions at Westminster.”

The world’s first Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) came into force in London on Monday 8 April.

Shortly after it came into operation in London the Mayor, Sadiq Khan, revealed it has already reduced harmful pollution levels.

The Mayor’s office reported that concentrations of roadside N02 have been reduced in the zone by 20% and the scheme, which started on 8 April, is predicted to reduce it by 45% eventually.

The ULEZ is central to London Mayor Sadiq Khan’s plans to improve the health of Londoners by reducing pollution, which has been linked to the early deaths of many people.

Most vehicles driving in the ULEZ will need to meet new, tighter emission standards or pay a daily charge to travel within the area.

Motorists driving older and dirtier vehicles will be charged an extra £12.50 to enter central London. Petrol cars older than 13 years and diesels older than four years will be hit by the levy.

For the first two and a half years the ULEZ will cover the same area as London’s existing congestion charge, but in October 2021 will be expanded to the entirety of the inner city, out to the north and south circular roads.

But unlike the congestion charge, which costs drivers £11.50 between 7am and 6pm on weekdays, the ULEZ levy is in force 24 hours a day.

All vehicle types apart from black taxis are liable for the ULEZ charge unless they meet certain emissions standards or exemptions. Non-compliant lorries, buses and coaches face a £100 daily fee.

The ULEZ will help reduce emissions and it is hoped it will protect Londoners from lung damage, reduce the risk of breathing illnesses and heart disease in adults, and improve the health of people exposed to the highest levels of pollution.

More than 18,000 Londoners responded to the Mayor’s public consultation on ULEZ, with nearly 60 per cent (11,041) strongly supporting the principle of ULEZ.

The ULEZ is one of the many actions being taken to clean up London’s air. It follows action already taken to tackle the most polluting cars and improvements to London’s bus and taxi fleet including:

• ensuring all new double-decker buses are hybrid, hydrogen or electric from 2018.
• bringing in 12 low emission bus zones in some of London’s worst polluted ‘hotspots’ by the end of 2019.
• upgrading 5,000 older buses to be ultra low emission by October 2020.

The ULEZ is expected to contribute to improved air quality for people in London and reduce exhaust Nitrogen Oxide emissions by up to 45%.

British Heart Foundation has it welcomed the new vehicle charging zone and urges other cities to follow, the charity’s chief executive, Simon Gillespie said: “The ULEZ will help reduce the levels of dangerous pollutants in the air Londoners breathe and crucially, it will help to protect the health of the most vulnerable people across the capital,”

“Air pollution is a major threat to the UK’s health, and contributes to thousands of heart attacks and strokes every year. BHF-funded research has shown that tiny particles emitted from diesel vehicles can enter our bloodstream and silently damage our heart and circulatory systems.

“We now need to see other cities across the UK following suit, and more ambitious plans put in place nationally and locally to ensure that everyone gets the right to breathe air that won’t harm them. We need to see this action as soon as possible, beginning with the adoption of World Health Organisation (WHO) air pollution limits into UK law.”

Anstruther beach in Fife was closed to the public at the start of the Easter weekend as Scottish Water worked to contain a sewage spill. This was the second time in the space of a week that access to the beach was restricted due to a spill.

On 15 April, people were told to avoid the beach and water on the beach near Castle Street and Shore Street after sewage leaked on to the beach as a result of a privately-owned drainage system being blocked by wet wipes.

The beach was reopened again on Wednesday, but on Friday afternoon Fife Council confirmed the problem had resurfaced and the decision had been made by Environmental health Team to close the beach again as a precaution.

Linda Turner, service manager for environmental health at the council, said: “Unfortunately, environmental health have had to take the decision, as a precaution, to again close the beach at Anstruther.

“The closure is in the vicinity of Castle Street and Shore Street.

“Investigations are ongoing to find a permanent solution to this drainage problem, and we will continue to work with partnership agencies and landowners to achieve this.

“Scottish Water are in attendance and will be carrying out some essential remedial works, as quickly as possible.”

The incident has involved a response from Environmental Health at Fife Council, Scottish Water as well as NHS Fife Public Health, Fife Coast and Countryside Trust, the Scottish Environment Protection Agency, Food Standards Scotland and Health Protection Scotland.

Signs were put up advising people to avoid contact with the beach and water, not to eat fish or shellfish from the shore and to wash hands and footwear.

On Friday, Scottish Water could not confirm when the beach would reopen and members of the public were advised to check Fife Council’s social media pages for updates.

East Neuk and Landward Conservative councillor Linda Holt said: “It’s extremely disappointing to learn that the problems at Anstruther beach have not been sorted out so it is at risk of being closed over the Easter weekend when visitors will be flocking to the harbour and beach to enjoy its delights.

“I welcome the multi-agency approach and I hope a full report will be brought to the area committee in due course about Anstruther’s drainage and sewer infrastructure.

“It is a perennial problem, and as business grows in the town, and extreme weather events increase, we need to make sure our infrastructure can cope.”

Thursday June 20, 2019, marks Clean Air Day (CAD) – a red letter day for air quality

That’s when people and organisations will come together across Scotland for the annual event to raise awareness of the difference we can all make to the air we breathe.

Environmental Protection Scotland (EPS), is once again coordinating Clean Air Day on behalf of the Scottish Government’s Cleaner Air For Scotland (CAFS) strategy. The CAFS strategy aims to make Scotland’s air quality the best in Europe.

CAD 2019 will showcase simple, but effective steps we can all take to reduce pollution and recognise the health benefits of smarter travel choices.

Road transport contributes to around a third of NO_X emissions in Scotland and one of the aims will be to encourage people to leave the car at home.

Ways in which local authorities can get involved include:

• Getting people to sign pledge cards which will soon be available for download from the Clean Air Day Scotland website to catch a train, bus, the Subway, tram or bicycle (or even a combination of these options!) for the daily commute. 
• Families could walk or cycle with the children or grandchildren to and from school. 
• Encourage people work from home on June 20 2019?
• A community walk like the one organised by a GP surgery in Inverness on Clean Air Day 2018 is also a tremendous way of encouraging people to come together socially and improve their fitness and overall health. 
• Councils could reward staff who cycle or walk to work with free fruit and people can wear a CAD t-shirt to show their support for the event and health boards could reinforce their existing messages around active travel initiatives.
• Local authorities, other public sector organisations and private companies can raise awareness of active travel options and the grants available for cycle schemes and the travel routes available. 
• Encourage people travelling on foot or by bicycle to cut their exposure to air pollution by choosing quieter routes. EPS last year conducted a study for last year’s event that found primary and nursery school children were being exposed to 30% more particulate pollution compared to adults when walking along busy roads compared to quieter routes.
• Councils can utilise messages around vehicle engine highlighting, to discourage the practice and draw attention to the fines that can be imposed.
• This year’s Clean Air Day will also highlight how purchasing an electric vehicle or joining a car club cuts emissions and congestion

CAD will also aim to encourage motorists to switch off their vehicle engines while stationary, improving air quality, particularly in congested areas such as outside schools.

Already City of Edinburgh, Aberdeen City Council, Glasgow City Council, Renfrewshire and Aberdeenshire Councils are planning public events or visits to schools or are planning on promoting their air quality policies, active travel and no idling messages as part of Clean Air Day.

To find out more visit www.cleanairday.org.uk/pages/category/scotland

If anyone requires further information about how they can take part, please email EPS at admin@ep-scotland.org.ukor call us on 0141 333 6655.

Parakeets are causing concerns in a park in Glasgow– leading to a potential ‘cull’ as has been the case in London and also in Spain,

About 20 or 30 of the birds have made their home in Victoria Park in the west of the city, leading to the Scottish Natural Heritage deeming them the most northerly flock of parrots in the world.

A parakeet is any one of a large number of small to medium-sized species of parrot that generally have long tail feathers. It is believed the parakeets were kept as pets – and either escaped – or deliberately released.

The main concerns are the invasive parakeets will affect local wildlife – as they do in Spain – along with bird droppings, causing diseases, in years ahead.

Stan Whitaker of Scottish Natural Heritage told BBC Scotland’s The Nine programme:”Surprisingly parakeets seem to be very adaptable to different environmental conditions,”

“Almost certainly parakeets were kept as pets and they have either escaped or perhaps been deliberately released.”

“Invasive species cause impacts on native wildlife, the economy and the way that we live.

“Their droppings can also spread diseases.

“So we can’t just think about what the impacts are at the moment, we have to look ahead 40, 50 years into the future and see what impacts are likely to be then.”

A study is being carried out by government wildlife agency Scottish Natural Heritage to see if Scotland’s only breeding colony of ring-necked parakeets will have to be removed.

Mr Whitaker said: “It would be feasible to catch them and potentially rehome them.

“If we allow it to get much bigger, certainly in London the way that the fruit farmers manage them there is by shooting.”

Nevis Bakery Limited, based in Inverness-shire has been fined £6,000 at Belfast Magistrates’ Court after pleading guilty to failing to provide information on an allergenic ingredient – namely eggs – on its Empire biscuits.

The firm also admitted to putting the biscuits that were deemed unsafe and considered injurious to health to a specific category of consumers on the market. They were also ordered to pay over £3,000 legal costs.

Stephen Bingham’s four-year-old son Joshua was hospitalised with anaphylactic shock after having an Empire Biscuit made by Nevis Bakery Limited, at a cafe in Belfast.

Mr Bingham and his wife examined the label of the Empire biscuit before allowing their son to have it. However, the product contained egg which had not been listed on the ingredients and is something Joshua is allergic to.

Mrs Bingham administered his Epipen and the family called for an ambulance. Mr Bingham said that Joshua would have died if the family had not had the device with them.

Mr Bingham told the BBC he feared the worst for his son and his confidence in food labelling had been undermined.

He said that companies must take note of legislation and understand the seriousness of what they are putting into their products in order to avoid potential tragedies.

Food Standards Scotland announced that Nevis Bakery recalled Empire Biscuits because they contained egg not mentioned on the label on 5 April 2018.
No other Nevis Bakery products were known to be affected.

The company has since reissued Empire Biscuits with the correct allergen information and ingredients clearly listed on the packaging.

Food Standards Scotland (FSS) has launched a new food allergy alert service, offering consumers on-the-go updates on missing or incorrect allergen information on food labels. 

The free service, available through the FSS homepage, gives the option to receive specific alerts via text message or email on issues involving any of the 14 allergens that must be declared on labelling in the UK.

Head of Food Standards Scotland’s Scottish Food Crime and Incidents Unit, Ron McNaughton, said:

“Food allergies can significantly impact people’s quality of life, and Food Standards Scotland is here to make sure people with food allergies or intolerances have the information they need to make informed choices.

“We work closely with local authorities, food businesses, and the Food Standards Agency to make people in Scotland aware of any allergen information issues and we’d urge anyone with a food allergy in Scotland to sign up for tailored food allergy alerts by text or email. People can access the new service from the foodstandards.gov.scot homepage.

“We’re pleased the World Allergy Organization is putting the global problem of food allergies in the spotlight with World Allergy Week.”

The launch recent consumer research commissioned by FSS that showed 15% of people surveyed either have a food allergy themselves or have someone in their household with a food allergy.

Nurse Advisor at Allergy UK, Holly Shaw, said:

“Making safe choices is an important part of day-to-day living with a food allergy.

“Alert services like this are a great way of communicating information that enable the food allergic person to stay informed and safe.”

Under proposals approved by a group of Members of the European Parliament (MEPs), meat-alternative food products cannot carry meat product and meat preparation names such as burgers and steaks.

The European Parliament’s Agriculture Committee met on 1 April to vote on the first proposed reforms to the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) beyond 2020. Amendments to the common market organisation (CMO) for agricultural products garnered 29 votes in favour to seven against, and one abstention.

One of the so-called Compromise Amendments stated: “Names that fall under Article 17 of Regulation (EU) No 1169/2011 that are currently used for meat products and meat preparations shall be reserved exclusively for products containing meat. These designations include, for example, steak, sausage, escalope, burger and hamburger.”

This follows a previous 2017 judgment, whereby the European Court of Justice voted that plant-based dairy products could not carry similar names to their traditional animal-based counterparts.

“Purely plant-based products cannot, in principle, be marketed with designations such as milk, cream, butter, cheese or yoghurt,” the court said. Cocoa butter, coconut milk and salad cream were exempted under EU law but that “is not the case for soya or tofu”.

In light of the new proposals, a report in the UK’s Guardian newspaper this week suggested ‘veggie discs’ may emerge as one of the designated names for vegetarian or plant-based burgers, along with quorn tubes, soya slices and seitan slabs for other meat-alternative products.

French socialist MEP Éric Andrieu, who is responsible for overseeing the legislation, said the proposed prohibition was just “common sense”.

He added that MEPs had voted in the best interests of consumers and the move should be seen as an opportunity for vegetarian brands to make their mark.

“We felt that steak should be kept for real steak with meat and come up with a new moniker for all these new products,” Andrieu said.

“People need to know what they are eating. So people who want to eat less meat know what they are eating – people know what is on their plate.”

The approvals now need to go before the European Parliament as a whole, which is set to be after the 23-26 May European elections. Political leaders will then need to look at the proposals before passing them on for final approval.

Should the Commons finally ratify Theresa May’s Brexit withdrawal agreement, the British government would probably have to put the regulation into force if there is an extended transition period. Even if the UK is outside the EU by the time the labelling rule is applied, it is likely Britain would follow Brussels’ lead.

Figures from UK supermarkets suggest that around one in three British people have stopped or reduced their meat consumption in recent years, particularly among younger demographics.

Research by the Vegan Society suggests that the number of vegans quadrupled between 2014 and 2018, now representing about 1.2 per cent of the population. The Vegetarian Society estimates that a further 2 per cent of the population is vegetarian.

Scotland’s transport secretary is urging the UK Government to ensure that time-sensitive exports are given priority in the event of a no-deal Brexit.

Michael Matheson MSP has written to his UK counterpart Chris Grayling asking that critical exports such as Scottish seafood are given priority access to the additional ferry capacity secured by the UK Government when it is not being used to transport essential supplies.

Mr Matheson voiced concerns that the Department for Transport has failed to take action despite the issue being raised in previous correspondence from the Scottish Government.

He warned that livelihoods were being put at risk by this “lack of support for exporting businesses”.

He said: said: “With an annual value of £944m, seafood accounts for 58% of Scotland’s total food exports.

“Seafood is highly perishable and therefore dependent on the sort of swift and reliable transport connections which would be damaged by a disorderly UK exit from the EU.

“The Scottish Government has, on a number of occasions, sought to have seafood and other time-critical exports prioritised through Kent and Dover.

“We have also asked that these exports are given priority access to the additional ferry capacity secured by the UK Government where this is not required for essential supplies. So far, these requests have been refused.

“This lack of support for exporting businesses, which threatens the livelihoods of many in Scotland, especially in our more remote and rural communities, is of great concern to us and to the industries affected.

“The current situation, which puts at risk jobs and livelihoods, is simply not acceptable.”

Mr Matheson is asking the UK government to look again at the issues of prioritisation, and what assurance it can give businesses that their critical routes to market will be maintained in the event of a no-deal.

The UK government said the extra shipping it had hired is intended for critical supplies.

A UK Government spokesman said: “Leaving the European Union with a deal remains our priority but we continue to work with Scottish industry to prepare for all possible outcomes.

“As agreed by ministers across Government, only goods critical to the preservation of human and animal welfare – such as medicines – will be given access to the Government-secured freight capacity.”

He added that unused capacity will be released for sale on the open market and will be available to all suppliers.

The programme for the REHIS Annual Environmental Health Forum 2019 has now been released.

The REHIS Annual Environmental Health Forum provides all Environmental Health Professionals in both the public and private sectors an opportunity to maintain and enhance their knowledge, skills and competence.

This year’s Forum under the theme ‘Making the Difference to Public Health’ will consist of a whole day plenary session (Wednesday 24 April) and morning only workshop sessions (Thursday 25 April).

The plenary session will cover a wide range of topical updates relevant to professionals operating at all levels in their organisations.  The workshop sessions will cover Food Safety and Food Standards; Occupational Health and Safety; Public Health and Housing; and, Pollution Control and Environmental Protection.  Delegates to the workshops can choose between Occupational Health and Safety, and Public Health and Housing and between Food Safety and Food Standards, and Pollution Control and Environmental Protection.

A highly relevant low cost programme will be presented at this year’s Forum in an easily accessible location and in a modern facility.  Maintain your knowledge, skills and competence and support your Institute by attending this year’s Forum.  I look forward to welcoming you! David Duffy, President

For more details on the event see here.