Category: News Item

The annual surveillance reports for laboratory-confirmed cases o Salmonella and Campylobacter in Scotland in 2017 have been published on the Health Protection Scotland website.

During 2017, 5796 laboratory reports of Campylobacter were received by HPS. This was an increase of 485 (9.1%) compared to 2016 when 5311 isolates were reported. This increase follows a decline in reports of Campylobacter in each of the previous two years. Despite the increase in reports in 2017, the number remains below the peak of 6636 reports in 2014. The annual summary of Campylobacter in Scotland, 2017 can be accessed here.

During 2017, the Scottish Salmonella, Shigella and Clostridium difficile Reference Laboratory (SSSCDRL) reported 838 cases of human non-typhoidal Salmonella to Health Protection Scotland, which is very similar to 2016 when there were 839 reports, this had followed had followed an increase in reports since 2014 when there had been 717 reports. The annual summary of Salmonella in Scotland, 2017 can be accessed here.

Two new cooking skills publications have just been added to Community Food and Health website.

Community Food and Health (Scotland) or CFHS's aim is to ensure that everyone in Scotland has the opportunity, ability and confidence to access a healthy and acceptable diet for themselves, their families and their communities. 

The new publications are on cooking skills and are detailed below:

Chopping and changing uses evidence from a self-evaluation study group to show the impact of cooking skills courses on people who are affected by health inequalities, and is suitable for anyone who runs, manages or commissions cooking skills courses.

What’s cooking in Scotland?, is a snapshot of community cooking skills activities in 2017, presenting the findings from a short survey undertaken by CFHS in summer 2017.

A Holyrood Committee has outlined a number of recommendations in order for Scotland to try to achieve the cleanest air in Europe.

The Environment, Climate Change and Land Reform Committee has published its Air Quality in Scotland Inquiry report, following an inquiry into the Scottish Government’s strategy to tackle harmful emissions and how well this fits into the overall plans to cut pollution in the UK and EU.

Commenting on the publishing of the report David Duffy, Senior Vice President of Royal Environmental Health Institute of Scotland (REHIS) said:

"“Scotland, for the most part, has good air quality, however it is recognised that there are hot spots where pollution is too high. Air Quality receives a great deal of media and political attention and REHIS, on behalf of its membership, welcomed the opportunity to contribute to a critical public health influencing area through participation in the Committee’s evidence gathering process. Our memberships activities, along with fellow air quality specialists and other professionals are key contributors to the Cleaner Air for Scotland’s objectives. Working together with other professional disciplines, recognising that there are different drivers but finding practical solutions which satisfy all parties needs, in my opinion, will provide those we act on behalf of with the most gains.”

Some of the key findings in the report include:

Suitability of the Cleaner Air for Scotland (CAFS) strategy

• The Committee is concerned about the direction of travel, rate of change and action on the ground and recommends that CAFS is kept under review to ensure that it remains fit for purpose given the continual changes that are being seen in this area.

Diesel cars

• Emissions from diesel cars is one of the major contributors to poor air quality and the Committee supports the decision to phase out petrol, diesel cars and vans by 2032. 
• But the Scottish Government must provide a clear timeline for how it intends to reach this commitment, including any regulations or incentives. 

Low emission zones (LEZs)

• The Committee supports LEZs but it has concerns on the tight timescale to get these up and running. 
• It also questions whether local authorities have the technical and financial resources to ensure they are fully operational by 2018 and beyond. 
• The Committee believes that private cars should be included in LEZs, in order to fully contribute to improvements in air quality. 

Transport and active travel

• The decrease in passenger numbers on buses over the 5 years is concerning. While access to buses, particularly in rural communities, touches on wider issues, the affordability, availability and accessibility of buses is a significant contributor to helping people leave their cars at home. 
•  To meet air quality and wider climate change targets, increasing the number of journeys by bike to 10% and beyond is necessary. The Scottish Government should complete a full review of why the percentage of journeys only rose by 0.2% between 2010 and 2016.

Freight transport

• The Committee recognises the potential benefits to air quality in removing freight from the roads, particular during peak times in urban areas and recommends that the Scottish Government provide an update on its plans for consolidation centres, moving freight from road to rail and night time deliveries.

Other causes of air pollution

• The Committee recommends that the Scottish Government review the current regulations and guidance on the installation of wood burning and multi fuel stoves and boilers in homes to ensure that air pollution from wood burning and multi-fuel stoves is sufficiently considered and appropriately regulated.

New evidence published in the Cochrane Library shows that nutritional labelling on menus may reduce a person’s calorie intake.

Researchers found that labelling on menus in restaurants led to a reduction of 47 calories purchased. They said assuming an average meal of 600 kcal, labelling on menus would reduce the number of calories purchased per meal by 7.8%.

The team of Cochrane researchers brought together results of 28 studies evaluating the effects of nutritional labels on purchasing and consumption in a systematic review.

The team reviewed the evidence to establish whether and by how much nutritional labels on food or non-alcoholic drinks affect the amount of food or drink people choose, buy, eat or drink. They considered studies in which the labels had to include information on the nutritional or calorie content of the food or drink. They excluded those including only logos (e.g. ticks or stars), or interpretative colours (e.g. 'traffic light' labelling) to indicate healthier and unhealthier foods.

However, the authors stressed that the quality of evidence reviewed was “low” and they were only “tentatively” suggesting that nutritional labelling on menus in restaurants could be used as part of a wider set of measures to tackle obesity. They called for more high quality evidence to strengthen the findings.

The Review's lead author, Professor Theresa Marteau, Director of the Behaviour and Health Research Unit at the University of Cambridge, UK, says: "This evidence suggests that using nutritional labelling could help reduce calorie intake and make a useful impact as part of a wider set of measures aimed at tackling obesity," She added, "There is no 'magic bullet' to solve the obesity problem, so while calorie labelling may help, other measures to reduce calorie intake are also needed."

Commenting of the review Geoff Ogle, Chief Executive at Food Standards Scotland said: “We welcome this Cochrane review, which suggests that including calories on menus could reduce a person’s calorie intake by an average of 8%.

“This supports findings included in our recently updated Situation Report: The Scottish Diet, it needs to change which found that  66% of us agree that cafes and restaurants should display calorie information.

“As well as providing information for consumers buying food in cafes and restaurants, we believe nutrition labelling could also encourage businesses to reformulate their products so they contain less calories.

“While many larger cafés and restaurants do provide calorie information, it can be more difficult for smaller businesses to do the same.  For this reason, Food Standards Scotland has piloted a free web-based calorie calculator, called MenuCal, to help small businesses in Scotland to put calories on their menus.

“We know that food and drink consumed outside the home in Scotland is skewed towards less healthy products such as sugar sweetened drinks and speciality coffees, chips, burgers, cakes and pastries. Food Standards Scotland will be taking forward a new strategy for eating outside the home in Scotland, for public consultation later in the year, and which will include measures such as calorie labelling.”

Chefs and cooks have a powerful influence – from supporting small producers to influencing what we eat, from education to community projects, and beyond. Slow Food’s Scottish Chef Alliance recognises and supports those efforts as they help to build a ‘good, clean and fair’ food culture in Scotland.

Slow Food Scotland Chef Alliance joins similar Slow Food networks from countries as diverse as Albania and Canada, Mexico and Italy and now numbers over 550 chefs.

In order to be part of the Alliance, chefs must, for example, meet protocols such as using Ark of Taste* products, supporting small local producers, being transparent about sourcing with their customers and engaging with local Slow Food groups, all in the spirit of ‘good, clean and fair’ food.

Chef and food writer, Wendy Barrie, has been recognised for supporting these values and has recently been appointed as a member.

Wendy is no stranger to local food culture from organising food events, producing recipe booklets, developing sustainable cooking course and later becoming chief inspector for a national food guide. She has also worked with East Ayrshire Council on their trail blazing school lunches and was twice invited to Italy by Slow Food to share good practice.

Inspired to collaborate more with artisan producers and like-minded chefs, Wendy founded her own food guides Scottish Food Guide in 2002 and Scottish Cheese Trail in 2004. She has also won the Food Tourism Catering in Scotland Excellence Award. Dedicated to biodiversity and food heritage, Wendy was invited to Slow Food’s inaugural Terra Madre 2004 and was deeply moved by the experience.

At Scotland’s Royal Highland Show, she manages the theatres in Scotland’s Larder Live; organising their Scottish Bread Championships she co-founded in 2017 with Scotland the Bread, and supporting their Dairy Championships with artisan cheese tasting. Her collaboration with local producers and chefs extends to commissions in France and Scandinavia.

Wendy is also Scotland’s Leader for the Slow Food Ark of Taste.

*The Ark of Taste programme aims to catalogue and promote quality products from around the world that are rooted in culture, history and tradition and that are in danger of disappearing. It seeks to re-discover an extraordinary heritage of fruits, vegetables, animal breeds, cheeses, breeds, sweets, cured meats, and much more. Products that feature on Scotland Ark List is everything from Reestit mutton and Native Shetland Lamb to beremeal, peasemeal and the Musselburgh Leek. 

Footnote: Wendy Barrie is a current member of the REHIS council, REHIS congratulate her on her new role. 

A report published by researchers from Glasgow Caledonian University has found presence of Hepatitis E Virus (HEV) in shellfish samples purchased from local supermarkets.

The samples that tested positive for the virus represent 2.9% of the 310 samples purchased. The virus was found in eight blue mussels and one oyster. The shellfish tested in the study were bought from four supermarkets in the Glasgow area and a fishmonger on the east coast, although the individual outlets have not been named.

It is the first time that HEV has been detected in commercially sold shellfish in Scotland.

The researchers hope that these findings may encourage further research that will help address the gaps in the knowledge in respect to foodborne transmission of HEV in Scotland and the rest of the United Kingdom.

The most recent figures from 2016 show the number of laboratory-diagnosed cases of HEV in Scotland increased to 206 from just 13 in 2011. Previous cases of HEV were linked to contaminated pork meat and soft fruit in Europe.

Prof Linda Scobie, principal investigator of the GCU study, said: "We don't know at what point in the food processing chain this contamination occurred.

"There are significant gaps in our knowledge with HEV in the UK, we don't know how much virus is required to cause infection, unlike the norovirus where you only need a few particles to cause acute illness.

"What we do know is more people are being diagnosed and if they have particular medical conditions then they are at risk of becoming very ill."

Unlike oysters, which are traditionally eaten raw, mussels are less likely to pose a risk of HEV infection to consumers because they are normally cooked before being eaten.

The authors, writing in the academic journal Food and Environmental Virology, said: "The present study is the first to demonstrate the occurrence of HEV in commercially harvested Scottish mussels sold at retail, albeit at low levels, 2.9%."

The REHIS office will be closed today, Friday 2 March, on account of the ongoing extreme winter weather.

Saturday’s meeting of the REHIS Council meeting has been cancelled.

The REHIS office will be closed today, Thursday 1 March, on account of the ongoing severe winter weather affecting, in particular, central Scotland.

Members of the REHIS Council have been advised that Saturday’s meeting of the Council in Edinburgh on Saturday 3 March, may be postponed or cancelled.

Keep Scotland Beautiful (KSB) have published the Sustainable Scotland Network (SSN) analysis of the public bodies’ climate change reports 2016/17.

The report highlights the efforts of 180 public bodies across Scotland in reducing carbon emissions from the public sector last year. The overall 8% reduction in emissions is a result of factors including the direct efforts of public bodies through emission reduction projects and increased use of renewables, and a cleaner electricity grid. These all point to the public sector driving forward action in moving Scotland towards a low carbon society.

The document also details that since 2015/16:

• there has been a 20% increase in carbon savings from implementation of mitigation projects across the sector;
• there has been a 20% increase in reported carbon savings from renewable generation;
• there was a reduction in 6% of waste tonnage going to landfill;
• there was a 2.2% drop in electricity consumption.

In addition, almost 60% of public bodies reported renewable generation – with solar panels featuring prominently, closely followed by biomass generation.

The document is the second of its kind, which details Scotland’s public bodies climate change activities. The report has been produced and published by Keep Scotland Beautiful on behalf of the Scottish Government as part of the charity’s work to support and develop the Sustainable Scotland Network.

The enforcement action preventing Russell Hume from processing and distributing meat products has been lifted at one of their sites after assurances that their food safety management system met the legal requirements were satisfied.

The business will be allowed to resume production and distribution of products to customers but only from their Liverpool site. The other sites cannot restart production until the same assurances are met.

Production and distribution was halted at all Russell Hume sites over two weeks ago until the business could provide assurances they were complying with relevant legislation.

The Food Standards Agency (FSA) and Food Standards Scotland (FSS) announced on 1 February that their investigations into the major non-compliances found at the plants was intensifying. The investigation will be looking into all aspects of the business to establish more details about the serious and widespread problems so far identified and will determine whether additional enforcement action should be taken.

The FSA and FSS have worked with the business to address concerns raised by their investigation. As a result, they have been assured that food being produced at the Liverpool site is compliant. FSA staff will remain present during operations.

The lifting of the statutory notice will have no impact on this ongoing investigation and staff for both organisations remain present at sites in England and Scotland.

The FSA and FSS continues to work with the business to assess the status of the measures which remain in place at the other sites preventing production and distribution.

Takeaway order app and website Just Eat has revealed that it removed 35 restaurants from its register last summer for irregularities around food hygiene ratings.

The revelation comes after a BBC Inside Out East investigation that found five takeaways on the app were not registered with the local council. One of the sites was in Basildon, Essex and was visited by the BBC which found that there was no evidence it had been used for anything other than a car wash for at least two years.

Just Eat said the restaurants in question signed up to the platform before 2009 when it introduced a policy to ensure all takeaways had an official hygiene rating.

They also said it carried out a nine-month audit from November 2016, which uncovered the irregularities, ranging from incorrect address details through to not being registered. It said these included those found by the BBC investigation.

A spokesperson said: ‘We removed a total of 35 businesses from our platform during our audit and can confirm that we have proof of registration for every restaurant operating on our platform today.’

‘Whilst it is incredibly rare for us to find an unregistered business on our site, whenever we are made aware of a business which may be operating incorrectly, we immediately take them offline, so that our dedicated restaurant compliance team can investigate.’

The firm has said that it does allow businesses to trade on its website and app with a zero food hygiene rating if it is allowed to trade on the high street by the local council.

Hygiene ratings are not displayed on the Just Eat site or app, although a link to the Food Standards Agency food hygiene ratings directory is included so customers can look up the individual restaurant.

Just Eat food safety manager, Seth Gulliver, said: ‘We take food safety extremely seriously and actively work to raise standards across the takeaway sector.

‘Any restaurant wishing to partner with us must be FSA registered with the relevant local authority, and provide evidence of this, before we put them on our platform.

‘Local authorities are then responsible for carrying out inspections to check businesses meet the requirements of food hygiene law.’

He added that at number of checks are carried out by Just Eat when a business joins its site and app. However, the company relies on businesses self-reporting changes as well as local councils, where good relationships have been built.

Mr Gulliver added: ‘We positively incentivise food safety and make numerous resources available to our restaurant partners to support and improve standards in this area, such as dedicated online training and a partnership with NSF, the leading global Food Safety consultants, offering various packages to our partners including having a qualified auditor coming into their business to help improve standards.’

He said the company was hopeful it will be able to display ratings of restaurants in the near future. However, Just Eat was mindful that this could cause a surge in inspection requests to councils and would be looking at the best way to involve councils in this work.

Just Eat’s website and app have 10 million customers and take orders on behalf of around 28,000 food outlets in the UK, charging customers a 50p service charge each time.