Category: News Item

Cuts to environmental health departments are putting the public at “high risk of harm”, according to the Unison Tipping Point Study.

The study used Freedom of Information requests to local authorities and a Scotland-wide survey of UNISON members working in environmental health departments to examine the impact of austerity in areas such as food safety and standards, waste management and pollution control.

It found the teams have to manage an ever-increasing workload with significantly reduced resources, leaving many working long hours as they struggle to maintain a service that keeps the public safe.

More than two-thirds (67%) of those who responded said there had been cuts or severe cuts in their service this year, while 95% said there had been cuts or severe cuts in the last five years.

Fewer than one in five (18%) believe their teams have the resources to deliver an adequate service to the public while two-thirds say they are working late and skipping breaks and lunch to try to get more work done.

There are five per cent fewer environmental health officers and around a fifth (21%) less people in other roles in the teams than in 2012/13 and budgets have been cut by 14% compared to 2012/13 and by 12% since 2016/7.

In addition, 90% say their workload is higher than five years ago while 76% described morale in their team as low or very low.

The report said cuts to environmental health team budgets are leaving staff overworked, underpaid and stressed.

It warned this means “citizens and the wider environment are at a high risk of harm” and calls for an end to austerity and for investment in public services.

Mark Ferguson, chairman of Unison Scotland’s local government committee, said: “This report shows our environmental health services have reached tipping point, leaving us all at risk of harm.

“Our members are under enormous pressure, with many working long hours trying to maintain a quality service.

“This survey shows a dedicated workforce who are struggling under the sheer volume of work, with nine in 10 saying their workload is higher than five years ago.

“Teams are now reacting to complaints rather than focusing on working to prevent things going wrong.

“Our members can see departments depleted, with the loss of experienced staff, fewer proactive inspections and services being drastically cut.

“Not only does this put people in danger it also pushes costs onto other public bodies – which costs more money than investing in a high quality environmental health service.”

The report also highlighted a looming skills gap as almost half of respondents to the survey, carried out in June 2018, are aged between 46 and 55 – with another fifth due to retire over the next ten years. It warned with fewer staff being taken on to develop this will mean a huge loss of knowledge, which it said is vital in such a complex protective service.

The report said teams are now reacting to complaints rather than focusing on working to prevent things going wrong, with some areas of work completely cut back on, increasing the risk of accidents, food poisoning, contaminated land and vermin infestation.

Tom Bell, chief executive of REHIS was asked to make comment by “The Herald” regarding the findings, he said the Institute had warned about the effect of cuts on services, but now the effect had reached a “critical point” and was concerned that it had led to a slump in the number taking BSC (Hons) in environmental health.

Tom Bell also suggested that consideration should be given to establishing a central fund that would allow local authorities to address the lack of training placements for student/graduate trainee Environmental Health Officers (EHO). This in turn would give confidence to school leavers considering studying environmental health at the University of the West of Scotland that the chances of a career as an EHO are high.

Tom continued: “We are now at the stage where there are a very small number of individuals coming through to fill an increasing number of vacancies. So it has been very very poor management by local authorities, in that they haven’t foreseen this situation, and if they have, they have decided that the work of the environmental health officers has not been sufficiently important to justify really investing in the future and ensuring training places are available.”

Tom also stressed that the Institute has been warning Convention of Scottish Local Authorities (CoSLA), local authorities and the Scottish Government and its agencies of our concerns for many years and not only in recent months.

A CoSLA spokesman said: “As our #essentialservices campaign makes abundantly clear, we need a fair settlement from December’s Budget to continue to provide the essential services our communities rely on
“As we see from things like this, it is clear that the impact of past local government settlements are having a biting impact.”

A Scottish Government spokesman said: “Despite continued UK Government real-terms cuts to Scotland’s resource budget, we have treated local government very fairly.

“In 2018-19, councils will receive funding through the local government finance settlement of £10.7 billion. This will provide a real terms boost in both revenue and capital funding for public services.

“Local authorities are responsible for managing their own budgets and priorities, including environmental health.

“The Finance Secretary will present the Scottish Government’s future funding for local government in the Scottish Budget later this year.”

Unison Tipping Point Study can be found here: http://www.unison-scotland.org/library/2018-Environmental-Health-final.pdf

Three supermarket chains have given confusing or incorrect information on allergens in their bakeries, the BBC Watchdog has found.

Branches of Asda, Sainsbury's and Tesco gave wrong or unclear details to the undercover reporters from the BBC’s consumer programme. The reporters visited 24 supermarket bakeries, five of which showed cause for concern. 

The retailers said they would review their labelling and staff training.

The EU says that consumers must be made aware when one or more of 14 particular allergens – including nuts, sesame, milk, eggs and wheat – is used as an ingredient in food products. In the UK, non-pre-packaged food does not need to be individually labelled on packaging, but stores must ensure clear and accurate information is readily available. 

In one Asda bakery, staff said an item did not contain the allergen sesame, when it was in fact listed as an ingredient for the product on the store's website.

In other Asda stores, the programme found staff were able to give a general warning that products may contain nuts or seeds, without being able to identify specific allergens contained within the recipe.

Reporters for the programme also found Tesco did list allergens on most of its products, but not for unwrapped bread rolls, paninis and pastries in some stores. At one branch, an undercover reporter posing as someone with a milk allergy found a senior member of staff who was unable to locate any ingredients information for an unpackaged panini that contained milk.

Sainsbury's did not list any of the 14 allergens on packaging or shelf labels in their in-store bakeries, but did tell customers to "ask a bakery colleague" about allergens. A staff member at one branch told an undercover reporter a raisin whirl was free of nuts – but when the staff member found a product information guide it listed almonds as an ingredient. 

Sainsbury's said it would update its labels "to include more specific allergen information".

Tesco said it exceeded "the current legal requirements", but in light of the Watchdog investigation a spokesperson said the food retailer would be "reviewing how allergy information is displayed moving forward".

Asda said in all the instances flagged up by Watchdog Live, its staff "ultimately advised the customer not to buy the product". But a spokesman added the supermarket was "also working to implement detailed allergen labels on our in-store bakery products".

The Watchdog Live’s report was shown on 7 November 2018 on BBC One.

On the 27 October 2018, a group of 7 students and a lecturer from a small class of 13 students gathered for a meal in Edinburgh to celebrate 40 years since they all met for the first time as first year students attending the block release course of Sanitary Science at Napier College.

The date they gathered also happened to be 36 years to the day, when they all attended for their professional exams and interviews with the Royal Sanitary Association of Scotland, the leading professional body prior to the formation of the Chartered Institute of Scotland and then REHIS. The class from Napier College were accompanied by the principal lecturer on the Sanitary Science Course, Professor Francis McManus.

The route into the environmental profession in those days comprised four years of block release study, with annual exams and the maintenance of an annual practical record of training, whilst gaining practical experience from their employing Local Authority, culminating in professional exams to gain professional status to become a qualified EHO.

The group below, always a very social bunch, raised their glasses on several occasions to lecturers form the college, to Iain McDonald (deceased) their Gold Medal student and the Sanitary Science Course itself. An enjoyable evening was had by all recounting a number of escapades and organised visits to distilleries and breweries organised by the college. The course provided an excellent education for professional environmental health officers, and many pictured below are chartered EHOs still working either in the private or the public sector still plying their trade to promote and protect public health.

The class next plan to meet up again in 4 year’s time to celebrate 40 years since their own graduation.

Pictured below are (left to right) Jean Allan, Elaine Devine, Kevin Boyle, Francis McManus, Campbell Stewart, Neil Doherty, Lesley Cooke and Roy Stewart.

Curbs on the marketing of alcoholic drinks to protect children are included in new plans to tackle alcohol harm.

The Scottish Government’s ‘Alcohol Framework 2018: Preventing Harm’, includes proposals to consult on alcohol marketing such as public spaces and online. Under the framework, the UK Government will be pressed to impose a 9pm watershed for alcohol advertising on TV, and restrictions on advertising in cinemas are also proposed.

Alcohol producers will be urged to put health information on labels, and the current minimum unit price of 50 pence will be reviewed after 1 May 2020.

Alcohol misuse costs Scotland £3.6 billion each year – £900 for every adult – and on average, almost 700 Scots are hospitalised because of their drinking every week.

Speaking at the European Alcohol Policy Conference in Edinburgh, Public Health Minister Joe FitzPatrick said:

“Our new Alcohol Framework sets out our next steps on tackling alcohol-related harm. We need to keep challenging our relationship with alcohol to save lives. Behind each statistic is a person, a family, a community struggling with the impact of alcohol harms. These new measures build on the progress of our 2009 Framework which has made an impact by tackling higher-risk drinking, but we want to go further.

“Scotland’s action is bold and it is brave and, as demonstrated by our world-leading minimum unit pricing policy, we are leading the way in introducing innovative solutions to public health challenges.”

Large-scale Low Emission Zones (LEZs) can deliver improvements in urban air quality and these can be linked to changes in childhood respiratory health. However, more ambitious schemes are required to meet legislative limits and deliver improvements to respiratory health, according to a study in the Lancet Public Health journal.

The study looked into the impact of London’s LEZ and found that while it has improved air quality it has not been enough to benefit children’s lung health.

The observational study was conducted with more than 2,000 primary school children living in areas of high pollution within the low emission zone. The research tested the lung capacity of eight-to nine year old children between 2009 and 2014. It began just after LEZ charges began and continued after the rules were tightened in 2012. 

LEZs are in place in 200 cities across Europe but only reductions in nitrogen dioxide were identified; as the percentage of children living at addresses exceeding the EU limit value for annual NO2 (40 μg/m3) fell from 99% in 2009 to 34% in 2013. However, little progress was found in the reduction of ultrafine particles (PM2.5) or particulate matter (PM10) over the study period, which is a health concern due to their ability to reach deep inside the lung. 

Within London's LEZ, a smaller lung volume in children was associated with higher annual air pollutant exposures. The study found that despite small improvements in air quality there was no evidence of a reduction in the proportion of children with small lungs over the five years since the zone was implemented.

Author of the report Professor Chris Griffiths from Queen Mary University of London said: ‘Some improvements in air quality have been made despite the diesel vehicles emitting higher levels of pollutants in the real world than in tests. 

‘Even so, many areas of inner and outer London are still breaching EU air pollution standards and are unlikely to meet them without a substantial tightening of current emission controls.’

Griffiths said: ‘Although changes of this magnitude are unlikely to cause problems in healthy children, we urgently need to know whether these lung deficits will impact lung function and health in later life.

‘Until longer-term impacts are known, doctors should consider advising parents of children with clinically significant lung disease to avoid living in highly polluted areas, or to adopt personal mitigation measures to limit their exposure. More research is needed to identify factors that lead to increased susceptibility or protection.’

MPs have called on the Government to strengthen the commitments made in its 25-year Environment Plan in order to prepare for the event of a no-deal Brexit scenario, claiming that the UK is currently at risk of losing one-third of green legislation if no agreement with the EU is agreed.

After writing a report citing its concerns about the UK’s 25-year Environment Plan earlier this year, the Environmental Audit Committee (EAC) has now published the Government’s response.

The EAC’s initial report, published in July, called on the Government to create legally-binding targets for environmental issues that can be scrutinised by a new independent oversight body. Specifically, the report called for issues such as air quality, waste, water and soil to be subject to five-year reports.

It additionally recommended that the UK’s new green watchdog should have the power take the Government and other public bodies to court where standards are breached, as well as the remit to oversee all public authorities and to initiate its own investigations that can be adjudicated by the courts.

The concern is that after Britain leaves the EU, there will be no UK body to replace the role of the European Commission or the European Environment Agency, which has the same power.

Responding to the EAC’s initial report, the Government claimed that it “already has extensive legal targets for the environment” which have been enshrined into UK law.

It additionally suggested that it is preparing to make sure a new statutory body is in place “as soon as is practically achievable” in the event of a no-deal Brexit – but provided no information on what powers the watchdog will have, or how these powers will be exacted.

“The Prime Minister has been clear that we will use the opportunity Brexit provides to strengthen and enhance our environmental protections – not to weaken them,” the Government’s response letter to the EAC states.

“A strong and objective voice that champions and enforces environmental standards will help the Government achieve our objectives of a Green Brexit and the vision set out in the 25-year Environment Plan.”

The letter of response was criticised by EAC chair Mary Creagh MP, who claimed that it failed to show a commitment to replacing the 33% of EU environmental legislation which has not yet entered into UK law.

“The Government’s woolly response makes no firm commitments on the future governance of the environment after Brexit, which is of great concern, given that the Agriculture Bill is making its way through Parliament,” Creagh said.

“If we want a world-leading environment, we need a strong, independent environmental watchdog which Ministers cannot quietly put to sleep. It is also deeply worrying that the response does not commit to replace the one-third of EU environmental legislation that cannot be copied and pasted into UK law after Brexit.

It is deeply worrying that the response does not commit to replace the one third of EU environmental legislation that cannot be copied and pasted into UK law after Brexit. It should set five yearly wildlife budgets, so people can see taxpayers' money being spent on public goods like flood prevention, protecting species from extinction and restoring our soils."

Despite Creagh’s concerns, the Government’s response does include a fresh commitment to publish annual reports on progress towards the 200 goals included in the 25-year Environment Plan.

It contains a pledge to bring forward draft clauses on the oversight and scrutiny functions of the regulatory body to this Autumn.

An independent review of “Cleaner Air for Scotland- The Road to a Healthier Future” has been announced. 

Cleaner Air for Scotland – The Road to a Healthier Future (CAFS) is Scotland’s first strategy specifically dedicated to tackling the issue in Scotland – previous strategies were conducted on a UK basis – was published in November 2015.

Professor Campbell Gemmell is to chair an independent review of Scotland’s air quality strategy. 

The review will explore the progress and impact of the air quality strategy; identify and assess any new and developments; make recommendations for future air quality policy; and outline actions needed to meet targets.

Although a Steering Group will be responsible for deciding the content of the review, it is anticipated it will cover transport, industrial, domestic and agricultural emissions as well as health, planning, and relevant business issues.

Announcing the review while meeting researchers at the British Heart Foundation Centre of Research Excellence, Environment Secretary Roseanna Cunningham said:

“There is a clear relationship between air pollution and human health impacts, and although we have made significant progress over recent years, more remains to be done.

“The Scottish Government is determined to drive down pollution levels, which is why I am delighted Professor Campbell Gemmell has agreed to chair a wide ranging independent review into our ambitious Clean Air for Scotland strategy.

“The review will bring together research being undertaken by the British Heart Foundation here in Edinburgh and others elsewhere to determine how we, as a nation, can take further positive steps to mitigate the impact of this hugely important subject.”

Professor Campbell Gemmell said:

“I am very pleased to have been invited to chair this review. Air pollution in Scotland has already improved significantly. It is a complex multi-dimensional challenge; connecting health, environment, climate change, planning, transport and business dimensions amongst others. As a result, it needs careful assessment in order to understand the issues, identify solutions and provide advice on the necessary next steps to continue to deliver long-term improvements in air quality and quality of life for everyone in Scotland. This review aims to provide government with the best advice available on the way ahead.

David McColgan, Senior Policy and Public Affairs Manager said:

“British Heart Foundation Scotland welcomes the announcement of this independent review of the Cleaner Air for Scotland Strategy demonstrates the Scottish Government’s clear commitment to improving Scotland’s air quality.

"The review represents an opportunity for the Scottish Government and partners across the country to signal their intentions to work in partnership to reduce harmful air pollution, which has been proven to contributes to poor health outcomes and the development of heart and circulatory disease."

The owner and manager of a takeaway, have been jailed for manslaughter after a teenage girl died when the meal she ordered carried peanuts.

Mohammed Abdul Kuddus and Harun Rashid, who ran Royal Spice in Lancashire, who were found guilty in October, have been jailed for two years and three years respectively at Manchester Crown Court.

15-year-old Megan Lee suffered irreversible brain damage after an allergic reaction to the meal, which she ordered via the Just Eat website in 2016. Despite detailing her allergies in an online form, her order was found to have the “widespread presence” of peanut protein.

She suffered an acute asthma attack after eating the food and died two days later, on 1 January 2017, having suffered irreversible brain damage.

The Lancashire takeaway was shut down days later following an inspection by Trading Standards and Environmental Health Officers.

In sentencing, Mrs Justice Yip told the pair that Megan was responsible enough to highlight her allergies when placing the order but “sadly the same responsibility was not at your end”.

She said the takeaway had no kitchen systems or processes to manage allergen control. She said “The menu contained no information about allergens. No record was kept of the ingredients used in dishes. In short, it appears that no-one at the takeaway had any way of knowing what allergens were in the food supplied.”

“In short, it appears that no one at the takeaway had any way of knowing what allergens were in the food supplied.”

The judge accepted that the defendants – both fathers – had expressed genuine remorse and that neither meant to kill the teenager.

She told them: “Neither of you actually foresaw the death of anyone. It never occurred to you that you would be responsible for the death of a young girl. Quite simply, you never gave the risk of a customer dying because of an allergy a moment’s thought.

“You must now live with the guilt of what you have done and the suffering you have caused Megan’s family and to your own families. All of this is a tragedy that could so easily have been avoided had you exercised the proper care to be expected of those who serve food to the public.”

A two-week trial at Manchester Crown Court was told of a “litany of failings” in the kitchen, including poor hygiene and no records of ingredients.

Kuddus, of Belper Street in Blackburn, received an additional eight month sentence, to run concurrently, for two food safety offences.

Rashid, who claimed he was merely a delivery driver at the restaurant at the time, was given 10 months in custody, also to run concurrently, for the same offences.

Megan ordered the meal with a friend via the Just Eat website on 30 December 2016, writing “prawns, nuts” in the comments and notes section. However, the delivered food, which included an onion bhaji, a seekh kebab and a peshwari naan, was later found to have the “widespread presence” of peanut protein.

Detective Chief Inspector Mark Vaughton, of Lancashire Police, said: “Megan’s death was the tragic consequence of the conduct of these two men. As owner and operator, Kuddus and Rashid each owed a duty of care to the public.

“The defendants gave little thought to the consequences of their actions. They showed a blatant disregard for customer safety, hazard control, food safety and hygiene. Megan’s death was a tragedy waiting to happen.”

The Royal Spice takeaway is now trading under new ownership, police said.

In a statement read outside court after the verdicts, Mr Lee and his wife Gemma said their lives would never be the same after Megan’s death. They have called for other food businesses operating “in such a deplorable and ignorant manner” to learn from the verdicts and are working with an anaphylaxis charity. Mr Lee added :“Do not guess, do not play ignorant, do not play Russian roulette with precious lives,”

Mrs Justice Yip supported their call, saying she hoped “the message is heard” that food suppliers who fail to take proper care “will face significant custodial sentences if a death results”.

She added: “Like Mr and Mrs Lee, I hope that this tragic case adds to the growing awareness in the food industry of what can happen if allergies are not taken seriously.”

“Those who fail to heed the warnings and who continue to flout food safety regulations may find the courts taking a harsher view in the future.”

The judge praised Mr and Mrs Lee’s “dignity and courage” throughout the gruelling trial.

“They do not seek retribution but want their story to serve as a warning to others in the food industry so that other families will not be forced to experience the indescribable loss that they have suffered,” she added.

News of the sentencing comes amidst a heightened focus on allergen awareness within the industry.

Public Health England (PHE) has announced that a UK resident has sadly died after becoming infected with rabies following a cat bite during a visit to Morocco.

They said that while there was no risk to the wider public, as a precautionary measure, health workers and close contacts of the person who died were being assessed and offered vaccination when necessary.

Dr Tina Kenny, medical director of Buckinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust, confirmed that the UK resident passed away at the John Radcliffe Hospital in Oxford. She said an internal review would be carried out “given that deaths from rabies are so rare in this country”.

PHE have consequently issued a reminder to travellers to avoid coming into contact with animals when travelling to rabies affected countries due to the risk of catching the disease.

Rabies is passed on through injuries such as bites and scratches from an infected animal. There are no documented instances of direct human to human transmission.

Rabies does not circulate in either wild or domestic animals in the UK, although some species of bats can carry a rabies-like virus.

In the UK, human rabies is extremely rare with only 5 cases of human rabies associated with animal exposures abroad occurred between 2000 and 2017.

The UK has been rabies-free since the beginning of the 20th century, with the exception of rabies-like viruses in some wild bat species. The last recorded rabies case in the UK was in 2012. In that instance, the individual was bitten by a dog in South Asia.

No human cases of rabies acquired in the UK from animals other than bats have been reported since 1902. A single case of human rabies acquired from a bat was reported in 2002 in Scotland; this individual had sustained a number of bat bites.

According to the World Health Organization, the disease occurs in more than 150 countries and causes tens of thousands of deaths every year, mainly in Asia and Africa. It says in up to 99% of cases, domestic dogs are responsible for the transmission of the virus to humans.

PHE remind that when travelling to rabies affected countries travellers should avoid contact with dogs, cats and other animals wherever possible, and seek advice about the need for rabies vaccine prior to travel.

Anyone who has been bitten, scratched, or licked by an animal in a country with rabies, or has had direct contact with a bat in this country, should take immediate action by washing the wound or site of exposure with plenty of soap and water. Local medical advice should be sought without delay, even in those who have been previously vaccinated.

When given promptly after an exposure, a course of rabies vaccine is extremely effective at preventing the disease. If such an exposure occurs abroad, the traveller should also consult their doctor on return, so that the course of rabies treatment can be completed. If travellers have not sought medical advice abroad, they should contact their doctor promptly upon return for assessment.

Dr Mary Ramsay, head of immunisations at PHE, said: “This is an important reminder of the precautions people should take when travelling to countries where rabies is present.”

The Scottish Government has launched a campaign highlighting the pitfalls of buying illegally bred puppies.

Buy a Puppy Safely campaign will focus on raising awareness of the tactics used by illegal breeders to deceive buyers.

Research shows that Scots are more likely to buy an illegally-bred puppy than they might think, with only 24% of Scots buying from an approved breeder and 1 in 4 considering using an online or website to buy a puppy.

Most illegally bred puppies are sold online through social media or small ad sites, and distressingly 1 in 4 puppies bought online die before their fifth birthday and 1 in 3 get sick or die in the first year.

The Buy a Puppy Safely campaign was launched by the Minister for Rural Affairs and Natural Environmental, Mairi Gougeon in Edinburgh, as the Scottish Government calls on the public to learn about the warning signs of an illegally- bred puppy. 

Minister for Rural Affairs and Natural Environment, Mairi Gougeon said: “Illegal puppy farming only leads to misery- many suffer from congenital health problems or behavioural problems, causing distress to owners and leading to expensive vet bills that can cost thousands of pounds. 

“So, we’re working with animal welfare charities to raise awareness of the real consequences of buying illegally and highlighting how to spot the warning signs of an illegal dealer. 

“I know that a lot of people will be considering buying a puppy at this time of year, so my message to them is to do your homework first. The most important thing is to see the puppy with its mother, and to get the correct paperwork. If there’s no mum and no paperwork, then walk away and report your concerns to the Scottish SPCA helpline.”

Scottish SPCA Chief Superintendent Mike Flynn said: "The launch of the Buy a Puppy Safely campaign is a welcome step forward in the fight against puppy farming, which is having a devastating effect on animal welfare in Scotland.

"Over the past year we have also been raising public awareness of the barbaric puppy trade in Scotland through our collaborative #SayNoToPuppyDealers campaign, and we are proud to support the Scottish Government on the launch of Buy a Puppy Safely.

"It is our hope that this will make it easier for members of the public looking to buy a puppy to avoid falling victim of this cruel trade."

The trade of puppies in Scotland online is estimated to worth £13million per year but shockingly a large proportion of these are believed to be illegally bred puppies including popular breeds such as Pugs, French Bulldogs, Cockapoos and Miniature Dachshunds. 

Illegal puppy dealers go to great lengths to deceive buyers from renting fake houses to sell the puppies from, to producing counterfeit paperwork and pretending the puppies’ mother is at the vet or out for a walk. One of the first avenues used by illegal puppy farmers to trick buyers is through online advertising as it’s the most common place for prospective buyers to begin their search. 

To help Scots avoid the heartache, misery and financial responsibilities that come with illegal puppy farming, the Scottish Government has launched a new website where buyers can find out how to spot an illegal bred puppy, both online and in person when meeting the puppy.

Pret a Manger’s allergy labelling was inadequate, the coroner in the case of a girl who died after eating a baguette from the food chain has said.

Natasha Ednan-Laperouse, 15, died after eating a Pret a Manger artichoke and olive tapenade baguette bought from Heathrow Airport in 2016. She had severe allergies to many foods including sesame, which had been baked into a baguette, the ingredients had not been listed on the packaging. She collapsed during a flight from Heathrow to Nice, despite her father administering two EpiPen injections.

She was “reassured” by the lack of specific allergen information on the packaging, the coroner found.

Pret a Manger confirmed at the time of death that products would not have been individually labelled with allergen or ingredient information, which was within regulations.

EU Regulations and UK legislation require no allergen labelling on products that are not prepacked, or are prepacked for direct sale. However, the retailer is required to prompt consumers to ask about allergens by signposting by a notice where the intending purchaser chooses their food and have allergen information available.

At the inquest, the acting senior coroner for West London Dr Sean Cummings said that “it seems strange” that a local sandwich shop can benefit from that regulation but “that an organisation that sold 218 million items a year could also benefit”. He added that “a cynic might think it was almost a device to get round regulation relating to information on food allergens”

Cummings also questioned Pret a Manger’s handling of sesame at a time when there were six previous allergic reactions involving the same bread in the previous year. Dr Cummings said he would be writing to Pret a Manger about its practices of collecting information on allergic reactions and responding to serious concerns.

“I was left with the impression that Pret a Manger had not addressed the fact that monitoring food allergy in a business selling more than 200 million items year was something to be taken very seriously indeed,” Dr Cummings said.

Coroner Dr Sean Cummings said he would be reporting to the government over whether large businesses should be able to benefit from regulations that allow reduced food labelling for products made in shops.

Environmental secretary Michael Gove has already said the family of Ednan-Laperouse was “absolutely right” in its belief the law needed to be changed. He has instructed civil servants to investigate such a change.

Pret a Manger is to start trialling new labels that show full ingredients, including allergens, on packaging in all UK shops as quickly as possible.

Environment Secretary Michael Gove said: “This is a deeply upsetting situation and my heart goes out to the family of Natasha Ednan-Laperouse.

“We are currently reviewing our approach to food labelling to give consumers more information. We await the findings of the inquest and stand ready to take appropriate action.”

The Prime Minister also told BBC Breakfast: “This was an absolutely tragic case and our thoughts are with [Natasha’s] family and friends over what happened.

“We have obviously to look at this issue, we have to look at the responsibility of individual companies as well.

Pret a Manger again found itself on the defensive again after it subsequently emerged that a second customer collapsed and died on 27 December last year after eating a vegan super-veg rainbow flatbread allegedly contaminated with milk protein. An inquest has yet to be held and there is dispute between Pret a Manger and its supplier CoYo as to the root cause.

On 10 October 2018, the World Health Organisation (WHO) published ‘Environmental noise guidelines for the European region’. The guidelines have been developed, based on the growing understanding of these health impacts of exposure to environmental noise.

The main purpose of these guidelines is to provide recommendations for protecting human health from exposure to environmental noise originating from various sources: transportation (road traffic, railway and aircraft) noise, wind turbine noise and leisure noise. 

They provide robust public health advice underpinned by evidence, which is essential to drive policy action that will protect communities from the adverse effects of noise. 

Compared to previous WHO guidelines on noise, this version contains five new developments:

• stronger evidence of the cardiovascular and metabolic effects of environmental noise;
• inclusion of new noise sources, namely wind turbine noise and leisure noise, in addition to noise from transportation (aircraft, rail and road traffic);
• use of a standardised approach to assess the evidence;
• a systematic review of evidence, defining the relationship between noise exposure and risk of adverse health outcomes;
• use of long-term average noise exposure indicators to better predict adverse health outcomes.

The guidelines also highlight data and research gaps to be addressed in future studies.