Author: Sarah Groom

UK Health Security Agency are urgently investigating the suspected illegal sale of fake botox after dozens of botulism cases were reported in North East England.

28 cases, most of which are in the Durham and Darlington areas, have all been reported by people who had recently undergone cosmetic procedures.

Reactions have included severe drooping of the upper eye lids, double vision, difficulty swallowing, slurred speech and lethargy, according to the UKHSA.

The UK Health Security Agency, in collaboration with Durham County Council and other partners, has convened an incident management team to trace the origin of the toxic injections. Investigators are trying to determine whether the adverse events were due to the potency of the toxin or the method of administration.

On one night in June, five of the people affected all ended up in the same A&E department in Durham, according to the BBC, which cited internal hospital communications in showing that the local stock of anti-toxin was nearly exhausted, forcing medics to request more from London as they “braced” for more patients.

The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) is now understood to be investigating the spate of cases.

Dr Alison Cave, the agency’s chief safety officer, said: “Public safety is a top priority for the MHRA. Our Criminal Enforcement Unit works hard to identify those involved in the illegal trade in medicines and takes robust enforcement action where necessary. This can include criminal prosecution.

“Botulinum toxin (Botox) is a prescription-only medicine and should only be available in the UK under the supervision of a doctor or other qualified healthcare professional

“Buying Botox and other medicines from illegal suppliers significantly increases the risk of getting a product which is either falsified or not authorised for use in the UK.”

Dr Simon Howard of the UKHSA said that agency was still investigating the cause of the cases, and said the practitioners associated with most of the cases were no longer carrying out the procedures.

“However, that does not mean that we may not see more cases as symptoms can take up to four weeks to develop although we are now seeing the number of cases coming forward decreasing which is encouraging news,” said Dr Howard.

“We will continue to work with our partners to reduce the public health risk and would advise people to make sure they take precautions when seeking aesthetic procedures.

“Anyone who has recently undertaken an aesthetic procedure, and is experiencing any of the symptoms listed, should contact NHS 111.”

Botulinum toxin is widely used to reduce facial wrinkles and treat muscle conditions. While cosmetic practitioners do not need to be licensed, the drug does. Only seven brands are licensed in the UK, with Botox the most well known.

When used correctly the amounts are small and side effects are rare. But unregulated toxin, or larger quantities, can attack the nerves and cause botulism, a potentially life-threatening condition that causes paralysis.

Defra have published new Standards of Modern Zoo Practice for Great Britain (‘the Standards’). This document has been produced with the Scottish and Welsh Government, which undertake similar activities in Scotland and Wales.

The Standards will come into effect on 24 May 2027. Defra are publishing the Standards now to allow licensed zoos time to adapt to any new requirements as well as allow the zoo inspectorate to familiarise themselves with the new requirements. There are also, within the Standards, some additional, longer transitional times for some species-specific changes that you will wish to note.

The Standards will replace the Secretary of State’s Standards of Modern Zoo Practice (2012) in England and Scotland, and the National Assembly of Wales’ Standards of Modern Zoo Practice (2006) in Wales. The current Standards will remain in effect until 23 May 2027.

Food Update Course, 4 June 2025

We are pleased to announce the programme for the forthcoming Food Update Course which takes place on the 4 June via MS Teams. The full programme is available here FU-2025-Programme-1.pdf

This popular event will host a variety of speakers. We have taken on board some suggestions from previous feedback to ensure that the membership requests are being addressed. The speakers are from various backgrounds including the Fermenters Guild, FSS, Abertay University and specialists from our own membership. Topics include incident reporting, port health, allergen guidance, seaweed products, and advice on fermentation and fermented products. The booking form is now available here – Food Update 2025

REHIS Schools Initiative

We are delighted to share that, in partnership with the Scottish Government, the Institute has launched the application process for Home Economics departments within Secondary Schools in Scotland to apply for fully funded resources to enable the delivery of REHIS Elementary Food Hygiene and REHIS Elementary Food and Health qualifications (SCQF Level 5) to pupils in S1 to S6 year groups. Each REHIS registered Home Economics department will receive an email with the application details.

As well as providing pupils with nationally and industry recognised qualifications, which will be of use to them and future employers, the courses can also play an important role in helping schools in Scotland meet the SQA Curriculum for Excellence, Health and Wellbeing (Food and Health) experiences and outcomes.

For more information, please contact Sandra Williamson, REHIS Director of Training. contact@rehis.com

150 Year Environmental Health Forum

The 150 Year Environmental Health Forum will be held on Thursday 25 September 2025 at the Apex Grassmarket Hotel in Edinburgh which will then be followed by a special dinner to celebrate the 150-year milestone. For information and booking arrangements see REHIS 150th Anniversary Forum – REHIS

Take advantage of the early bird rate before it ends on 31 May 2025.

The Martin Keeley Award
For Outstanding contribution to Environmental Health 2025

Applications are invited for the Martin Keeley award for outstanding contribution to Environmental Health 2025.

Protecting and improving public health is a fundamental objective of Environmental Health and the work of both REHIS and SOCOEHS. Recognising the contributions of our colleague, Martin Keeley, who sadly passed away in 2022, an award is presented to recognise individuals, groups or organisations for actions which have significantly promoted or improved Environmental Health (this can be for single element or wider Environmental Health). To submit a nomination, please complete this form HERE. Applications close on 31 July 2025.

More than 80 people have fallen sick in a Cryptosporidium outbreak linked to a petting farm in Wales.

In its latest update, Public Health Wales (PHW) reported that 81 confirmed cases and 16 people having to stay in hospital for one night.

The Fourth meeting of the multi-agency Outbreak Control Team was held on 14 May to respond to an outbreak of Cryptosporidium linked to visits to Cowbridge Farm Shop, Marlborough Grange Farm, Cross Ways, Cowbridge CF71 7LJ,

The farm voluntarily stopped all public animal feeding activities on 29 April and has continued to support the investigation.

Cryptosporidium is a parasite that can cause gastrointestinal illness. It is often associated with contact with animals, especially young farm animals such as calves and lambs.

Su Mably, consultant in health protection for Public Health Wales, said: “Although Cryptosporidium infection is usually mild and clears up on its own, it can cause more serious illness in young children and people with weakened immune systems.

“It is possible for this infection to be passed on from one person to another, for example if someone is caring for a family member who is unwell.  It is important to protect yourself by washing your hands well, particularly before preparing food.”

The main symptoms of infection include watery diarrhea, stomach pains or cramps, nausea or vomiting, mild fever, loss of appetite and weight loss. Symptoms usually start two to 10 days after contact with the parasite and can last for up to two weeks.

To reduce the risk of infection, people visiting farms are reminded to avoid holding, cuddling or kissing animals, do not eat or drink while touching animals or walking around the farm and remove and clean footwear after leaving the farm. Visitors should always wash hands thoroughly with soap and warm water after touching animals and supervise children to ensure proper handwashing.

According to the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA), April to June is traditionally the busiest time for Cryptosporidiosis investigations and is related to the frequency of open farm visits by families or school groups around Easter and bank holidays.

Contact with young lambs through bottle-feeding or handling is a high-risk activity for the spread of Cryptosporidium. APHA said the availability of appropriate and suitably located handwashing facilities including soap, rather than antimicrobial gel, which is not effective for this parasite, is important.

The most frequently identified deficiencies at animal contact attractions include poor handwashing facilities; suboptimal supervision of animal contact; contamination of walkways with soiled animal bedding or faeces; and unclear marking of animal contact versus non-contact areas.

From 1 June 2025, the sale and supply of single-use vapes will be banned across the UK.

The new regulations address the environmental and public health challenges posed by disposable vapes.

Businesses are encouraged to review their stock and prepare for these changes to ensure compliance with the law.

What the ban means

Under The Environmental Protection (Single-Use Vapes) (Scotland) Regulations 2024, a single-use vape is defined as a device that:

• is not designed to be refilled
• is not designed to be recharged, or
• meets both criteria above

This ban applies to both in-store and online sales. It covers all products classified as single-use vapes.

Defra guidance

The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs [Defra] has published guidance on:

• practical steps to transition to compliant products
• enforcement measures and potential penalties for non-compliance

Read the Single use vapes ban guidance.

What your business should do now

• review stock and identify products that will no longer be sold legally
• stop buying new stock of single-use vapes; sell through all existing stock
• only buy vapes from reputable sources that follow the new regulations
• train your employees about the new requirements and compliance expectations
• arrange for the environmentally responsible disposal of any unsold single-use vapes

What your business should do from 1 June

From 1 June 2025, it is an offence to have disposable vaping products in your possession for sale. Any leftover disposable vaping products must be:

• stored in stock rooms, away from the shop floor, and
• separated from other goods, securely wrapped, and clearly labelled, they are waiting to be collected for disposal and are not for sale

Enforcement and penalties

Enforcement of the ban in Scotland will be carried out by local Trading Standards teams.

Businesses found in violation may face:

• seizure of non-compliant products
• fixed penalty notice
• criminal prosecution with fines of up to £5000

Why this ban matters

Single-use vapes are difficult to recycle. They typically end up in landfills, where their batteries can leak harmful waste like battery acid, lithium, and mercury.

Batteries thrown into household waste also cause fires in bin lorries and waste-processing centres.

Defra estimates almost five million single-use vapes were either littered or thrown into general waste each week last year.

Islanders in the Outer Hebrides are reportedly being disturbed a mysterious low-frequency humming sound that can heard in the day and night. 

Around 200 people in Lewis have reported hearing the noise, which locals say is “impossible to ignore” and is louder nearer the coast of the island.   

Lauren-Grace Kirtley, who has set up a Facebook page dedicated to the noise which has been dubbed the “Hebridean Hum”, said the sound has prevented her from sleeping properly for several weeks. 

“It’s impossible to ignore – it is like somebody shouting in your face constantly for attention,” she told BBC Scotland.  

Marcus-Hazel McGowan, who has been using amateur radio techniques to try and find the source, also told the BBC: “It’s just trying to narrow it down and hoping nobody loses their mind completely over it.” 

Comhairle nan Eilean Siar said it had received reports relating to low-frequency sounds from a small number of islanders.  

A spokesperson for the local authority said: “As with any other reports of this nature, the comhairle’s environmental health team is investigating and will liaise with those who have reported issues.” 

Kirtley said the hum could be heard across Lewis and that it was less noticeable in the centre of the island and strongest on the east coast. 

She added that the Hebridean Hum had been recorded at a low frequency of 50hz. 

“It is a very low, humming, droning, pulsating noise. It’s incredibly intrusive and distressing,” she said.  

“I haven’t slept a night through for weeks and have problems concentrating. 

“I get a lot of fluttering in my ears. It’s making me dizzy and giving me headaches.” 

McGowan, who said he is determined to find the source of the mysterious hum, has ruled out SSEN’s Battery Point Power Station in Stornoway and also believes it was unlikely to be coming from boats. 

The power station on the island is only operated at certain times, while the hum has been reported as a constant problem. 

Clean Air Day is happening on Thursday 19^th June and this year the focus aims to highlight that air pollution affects us from before our first breath until our last.

Clean Air Day is the UK’s largest air pollution campaign and has been running since 2017. The day is organised by Global Action Plan with the support of Health Equals. It helps to focus attention on taking collective action to clean up our air, boost public awareness and understanding of the health harms of air pollution, and demonstrate support for clean air – giving decision makers a mandate to implement the solutions we need to breathe cleaner air.

Global Action Plan are encouraging individuals to get involved by learning more about the health harms of air pollution and asking your MP to champion more ambitious air quality targets in UK law so we can all breathe cleaner air and live healthier lives. Organisations can get involved by using the campaign comms pack to highlight the health harms of air pollution and encourage your audiences to take action, as well as hosting an event to bring your community together in support of cleaner air.

You can find out about Scotland’s plans to improve air quality by reading the Scottish Government’s Cleaner Air For Scotland 2 (CAFS 2) – ‘Towards a Better Place for Everyone’ and learn more about air pollution on Scottish’s Air Quality site Latest pollution map (scottishairquality.scot) where you can check air quality readings and other information in your postcode area.  

Westminster City Council has launched a new pilot scheme aimed at tackling harmful air pollution caused by cooking emissions in restaurants.  

Commercial cooking is the third-largest single source of Particulate Matter (also known as PM2.5 emissions) in London, which is estimated to account for 59% of total emissions. These emissions originate from cooking fuels such as charcoal, wood and gas, as well as food preparation methods like frying and grilling.  

To address this, Westminster City Council is trialling a new air purification system in five local restaurants to assess its effectiveness in reducing PM2.5 emissions and improving indoor and outdoor air quality.

The council see the trial as a providing valuable data on how restaurant emissions contribute to pollution across the city, which the will share with the businesses.

The project will cost the restaurants nothing and will involve no greater inconvenience than the installation, which will take around an hour. The project is scheduled to last for three months. 

Mayfair restaurant, Apricity, is one of the restaurants piloting the technology. Head chef Eve Seemann said: ‘It’s important research in terms of health for myself and the staff, as well as anyone visiting Mayfair and central London.

‘Although our style of cooking may not be as polluting as others, it’s important to see what areas we could improve in. This data will allow us to see when there’s a peak, what caused that peak and what we can do to try and remedy it. I’m glad we are part of finding a solution to reduce air pollution.’

Cllr Geoff Barraclough, Westminster City Council Cabinet Member for Planning and Economic Development, said: ‘These emissions from commercial cooking present a significant air quality and public health challenge in Westminster. What we learn from this pilot could help us shape future policies and ensure cleaner air for all those who live, work and visit the city.

‘We want this pilot to raise awareness of air quality issues within the industry, and I hope it encourages other businesses to sign up to participate in the trial. I’m proud that we’re leading the way testing innovative solutions to make sure our communities can live in a greener, more sustainable Fairer Environment.’

Dr Philip Webb, Chief Executive Officer at Health and Wellbeing 360 Ltd, said: ‘Not only will monitoring indoor environmental quality and outdoor air quality provide important data on pollutants and toxins in a real world setting such as kitchens in local restaurants based in community settings, it will give us insights into the health and wellbeing impacts of these types of emissions indoors and outdoors and, importantly, we will be able to assess the effectiveness of interventions such as ventilation, filtration and purification.

‘It also demonstrates Westminster Council leading the way on innovation in this sector and highlights the role of appropriate technology in identifying risks and mitigation strategies to help protect the health and wellbeing of local communities now and for future generations.’

To find out more see here Westminster Council launches scheme to cut cooking emissions in restaurants to improve air quality | Westminster City Council

Nutritional analysis of infant food carried out by the Aberdeen Scientific Services Laboratory for BBC Panorama has found low levels of certain nutrients and high sugar content.

Laboratory testing of 18 pouches made by Ella’s Kitchen, Heinz, Piccolo, Little Freddie, Aldi and Lidl found many to be low in vitamin C and iron, while some contained more sugar in a single pouch than a one-year-old should have in a day.

Aberdeen Scientific Services Laboratory approved by the United Kingdom Accreditation Service was commissioned by Panorama to independently test the nutritional value of a fruit, yoghurt and savoury pouch from each of the six leading brands.

Key findings included:

• Savoury pouches, used by some families as replacements for main meals, containing less than 5% of the key nutrient, iron, that an infant needs each day

• A fruit pouch in which virtually all the vitamin C had been lost during the manufacturing process

• Fruit pouches marketed as having “no added sugar” containing about four teaspoons of “free sugars” (created when fruit is blended); something that was deemed “intentionally misleading”

Many of the biggest brands use “halo-marketing” – surrounding products with healthy words or phrases – according to Dr Tedstone.

Ella’s Kitchen, for example, describes savoury products as “perfectly balanced for growing babies”, while Piccolo claims many pouches are “packed with goodness”. Some Little Freddie pouches come branded as “Good for Brains” and Heinz claims some of its fruit products are “as nutritionally good as homemade”.

Piccolo and Little Freddie told BBC their packaging accurately represented the key ingredients and flavours contained in their products, while Ella’s Kitchen said it “would never use” misleading claims. Heinz did not address our questions on marketing.

To watch the Panorama: The Truth about Baby Food Pouches episode see here – BBC – welcome back

The UK Government are consulting on proposals to extend the soft drinks industry levy (SDIL) to more drinks.

The consultation sets out proposals for changes to the minimum sugar content threshold at which the levy applies, and the current exemptions for milk-based drinks and milk substitute drinks.

The government is not seeking to revisit the SDIL’s fundamental design and scope; the SDIL will remain a tax on pre-packaged soft drinks with added sugar.

These proposals are:

• to reduce the minimum sugar content at which the SDIL applies to qualifying drinks from 5g to 4g. The SDIL standard rate would apply from 4g to 7.9g total sugar per 100ml, as opposed to 5g to 7.9g total sugar per 100ml currently
• to remove the exemption for milk-based drinks whilst introducing a ‘lactose allowance’ to account for the natural sugars in the milk component of these drinks
• to remove the exemption for milk substitute drinks with ‘added sugars’ beyond those sugars derived from the principal ingredient, such as oats or rice

Since its announcement in 2016, the SDIL has successfully led to extensive product reformulation, with a 46% reduction in the sugar in soft drinks in scope of the levy. Between 2015 and 2019, 65% of soft drinks that contained more than 5g sugar per 100ml reformulated to below 5g, bringing the total proportion of the market with less than 5g sugar per 100ml to 89%. However, UK sugar intakes remain around double the recommended levels.

The UK Government welcomes views on these proposals as part of this consultation and your feedback will inform decisions by HM Treasury ministers. Following this consultation, the government expects to confirm the final policy at Autumn Budget 2025. – Strengthening the Soft Drinks Industry Levy – GOV.UK

Pollution Update Course, 21 May 2025

The forthcoming Pollution Update event will be again online, on the 21 May 2025.  The event will focus on a range of pollution topics and will offer updates and insights on contaminated land, noise and the new generation of sports activities, air quality legislation and equipment, and the role of the EHO in climate and health. 

Speakers range from specialist consultants, LA experts and Scottish Government. 

A detailed programme will be issued shortly but you can book now using the booking form link, Pollution Update 2025 Booking Form 

150 Year Environmental Health Forum

The 150 Year Environmental Health Forum will be held on Thursday 25 September 2025 at the Apex Grassmarket Hotel in Edinburgh which will then be followed by a special dinner to celebrate the 150-year milestone. 

For information and booking arrangements see REHIS 150th Anniversary Forum – REHIS 

Northern and Southern Centres

Both the Northern and Southern Centres have events happening in May and June.  For more information and booking forms please visit Events Archives – REHIS 

A farmer who starved his Highland cows during a drought has been fined.

David Cameron left the animals in a field at Broadleys Farm near Stirling without checking on them during an extended period of dry weather in the spring and summer of 2023.

An anonymous caller alerted the SSPCA, who passed the matter on to animal health and welfare officers at Stirling Council. The Officers found no supplementary feed in the field and established it had been some time since it had been provided.

Stirling Sheriff Court, heard that the Highland cattle had a body condition score of just one out of five – classing them as “emaciated” and the other three scored 1.5 on the same scale, meaning they were malnourished and “very lean”.

Prosecutor Lindsey Brooks said one of the cows that had just had her first calf had failed to develop udders due to her state of malnutrition.

Officers instructed staff at a nearby cattle mart to feed the animals, which were later successfully auctioned with the proceeds of sale going to the council, the court was told.

Cameron, 72, appeared for sentence after pleading guilty in March this year to causing unnecessary suffering to animals.

Cameron’s lawyer said he had been a farmer for more than 50 years and had never previously been involved in such an incident. He said Cameron still had 13 cattle and there were no issues or concerns in respect of them.

He said Cameron had been keeping the animals in a field before they were transported to Ireland, but that had been delayed.

Cameron said he had arranged for someone to give the cattle supplementary feed and silage, but that ceased between April and June 2023.

Cameron’s lawyer said: “It was perhaps ‘out of sight, out of mind’ from his point of view.”

He added: “There was exceptional weather at the time, which didn’t assist.”

At last month’s hearing, Cameron had been warned that “imprisonment was a possibility”.

However, on 23 April Sheriff William Gilchrist imposed a fine of £1040. He said it had been up to Cameron to see that the cattle received supplementary feeding.

He said: “It was his responsibility to ensure that was happening, and he failed in that responsibility”.

Sheriff Gilchrist said he would not make any order preventing Cameron from continuing to deal in cattle, given the number of years he had been involved without previous incident.