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The Cows Are Mad podcast available on BBC Sounds dives into the history of the 1990s BSE epidemic. 30 years on, scientists and activists are still searching for answers to two big questions: where did Mad Cow Disease originally come from and how did humans get infected?

The podcast centres on a deserted factory in Kent that processed cows suspected of infection and exposes its vital role during the BSE outbreak in the ’80s and ’90s.

The podcast also taps into the community’s anxieties, especially as science still can’t pinpoint the disease’s origins or how it jumped to humans. It’s a compelling listen that pairs well with mystery and real-life intrigue, leaving you considering unanswered questions.

The Cows Are Mad is a natural sciences podcast by BBC Radio 4.

Food Standards Scotland (FSS) and the Food Standards Agency (FSA) have published their annual ‘Our Food’ report, which reviews food standards across the UK for 2022. This is the second report since the UK left the EU and is an independent and evidence-based annual assessment of food standards across all four nations.

Overall, food standards remained stable in 2022, despite pressures including inflation, labour shortages and the war in Ukraine. However, the report identifies shortages in key occupations needed to keep food safe, such as vets and food inspectors.

Without enough people with the right skills to deliver essential food controls, it will be more difficult to identify, monitor and respond to risks to food safety, leaving consumers and businesses vulnerable.

FSS and the FSA are calling on government, local authorities, professional bodies and industry to:

• Address the decline in local authority Trading Standards officers, Environmental Health and Food Safety officers to ensure food standards are maintained;
• Tackle the shortage of Official Veterinarians to protect animal health and welfare and trade and assure food hygiene standards;
• Share more and better-quality information across the food industry to help stop criminal gangs and tackle food crime that costs the UK up to £2 billion per year; and
• Introduce import controls on food imported from the EU to help reduce the risk of unsafe food entering the UK from the EU.

Confidence in the food system underpins an industry worth £240 billion and supports good animal welfare, farmers, food processors, international trade and the UK’s vibrant food culture.

Heather Kelman, Chair of Food Standards Scotland said: 

“It is encouraging to see that in 2022, amid several significant challenges both here in the UK and further afield, the overall safety and standards of our food has been upheld to the very high standards which we expect. 

“However, we must recognise the very significant challenges ahead and the potential problems that a lack of resourcing, specifically within environmental health officer and official veterinarian roles, may cause to the overall food system. It is now more important than ever for those who govern the system, as well as everyone involved in food production, retail and distribution, to work together to ensure food is safe and consumers and trade are protected. 

“It is critical that, together, we do everything we can to ensure we have a modernised system of assurance to support businesses that provide safe food for everyone and that the UK’s high food standards are maintained, in spite of the cost and workforce pressures we continue to face.”

Professor Susan Jebb, Chair of the Food Standards Agency, said:

“The food system across the UK experienced significant challenges throughout 2022, with the rising cost-of-living and inflation impacting grocery bills for consumers, and food businesses feeling the pressure of labour shortages and increased supply chain costs.

“Despite these pressures, I’m encouraged that our report indicates that overall, food standards have remained stable. However, food safety and standards hinge on good procedures and skilled people to ensure that the right checks are carried out. It takes time to recruit and develop these skills and we worry that without specific action to boost the workforce, specifically to recruit more official veterinarians and local authority inspectors, it will not be possible to maintain these high standards in the future.

“Failure to recruit and train professionals to key posts can have reverberations for many years to come. We ask governments across the UK, and others, to work with us to address these matters in the coming year so that people in the UK can continue to have food they can trust, and the strong reputation of British food abroad is maintained.”

Workforce data in the report shows a 14% decline in food hygiene posts in Local Authorities in England, Wales and Northern Ireland over the last decade, with over 13% of available posts vacant. In Scotland, the number of food law officers (undertaking both food hygiene and food standards work) has fallen by just over a quarter (25.5%) compared to 2016/17.

The number of UK food standards officers has fallen by 45% compared to 10 years ago. The UK veterinary profession has experienced a 27% decline in people joining the profession between 2019 and 2022, creating significant challenges in securing enough Official Veterinarians (OVs) for the future.

The report highlights the risks that come from these falling numbers. A lack of Official Veterinarians poses risks to animal health and welfare and the potential disruption of domestic food supply and the ability to export products of animal origin. Workforce pressure experienced by Local Authority teams risks hampering their capacity to conduct critical food safety and standards checks in food businesses.

The 2022 Annual Reports for Private Water Supplies has been published by Scotland’s Drinking Water Quality Regulator.

In 2022, the data provided to the DWQR by local authorities showed that there are 22,829 private supplies in Scotland. This data confirms that around 190,000 people live or work in premises that rely daily on a PWS. This is about 3.5% of the Scottish population. This figure, however, does not take into account the large numbers of people such as visitors and tourists who may use premises with a private water supply.

The majority of PWS are located in rural areas, though some are located in areas where there is a public supply of water available. Highland Council has the most regulated supplies, but Aberdeenshire has by far the largest number of PWS overall.

All Regulated supplies must be tested for a specific set of parameters (chemical and microbiological) that are important for public health. In 2022 the parameter with most failures was Coliform Bacteria, with 25% of samples failing this test. This compares with 23.1% in 2021. E. coli and pH were the next most commonly failing parameters, reflecting the lack of robust treatment on many private water supplies. Only one enforcement notice was issued by local authorities in 2022 for Regulated supplies.

Specific legislation and guidance is in place for PWS for local authorities. This includes The Water Intended for Human Consumption (Private Supplies) (Scotland) Regulations 2017 (“the 2017 Regulations” The Water Intended for Human Consumption (Private Supplies) (Scotland) Regulations 2017 (legislation.gov.uk) and The Private Water Supplies (Scotland) Regulations 2006 (“the 2006 Regulations”) The Private Water Supplies (Scotland) Regulations 2006 (legislation.gov.uk).

Global Action Plan – the organisers of Clean Air Day, the UK’s largest public engagement campaign on air pollution – are launching a new sister campaign to shine a light on the uncomfortable truth about wood burning.

Clean Air Night will bust key myths about wood burning by providing information to the public highlighting that wood burning is a significant source of air pollution that harms our health.

The campaign will run for four weeks, culminating in Clean Air Night on Wednesday 24 January 2024.

Starting at sundown (4:35pm) on Clean Air Night, leading experts will further reveal the truth about wood burning to the public through a series of videos. There will also be a Clean Air Night Summit, where organisations and local authorities can speak directly to experts and share learnings.

Clean Air Night has been developed using the latest research into how to communicate about wood burning, recently shared with the sector in a toolkit produced by Global Action Plan in partnership with Impact on Urban Health, behavioural experts Kantar and creative agency Dog, Cat & Mouse.

Any public sector or non-profit organisation who wants to see and breathe clean air can become an official supporter of Clean Air Night for free.

We will be producing free resources for supporters of Clean Air Night so they can share the truth about wood burning with the public, helping them to protect themselves, their families and their communities. This will include a communications toolkit including week-by-week social media templates, newsletter copy and downloadable posters.

There are also many ways for for-profit organisations, schools and individuals to engage with the campaign.

Ahead of 23/24 winter season, ARHAI Scotland and NHS Education for Scotland have collaborated to relaunch a set of key infection prevention and control messages, that can be used to support health and care settings.   

They comprise of 9 infographics for staff to use locally, as part of social media content, intranet posts and general Infection Prevention and Control communications which can be access here https://mailchi.mp/nes.scot.nhs.uk/winter-preparedness-202324

Check out how you can use these infographics in the following video: https://vimeo.com/870242057?share=copy

As part of the UK Government’s response to the Coroner’s report into the tragic and avoidable death of Awaab Ishak, they have published guidance on damp and mould in the home.

This guidance delivers delivers on the UK Government’s commitment in response to the Coroner’s ‘Prevention of future deaths’ report following the death of 2-year-old Awaab Ishak from a severe respiratory condition due to prolonged exposure to mould in his home.

This guidance has now been published. “Guidance on understanding and addressing the health risks of damp and mould in the home – For social and private rented landlords and other providers of residential accommodation”, has been written in response to the Coroner’s report and recommendation that evidence on the risks of damp and mould should be made accessible to the housing sector. This new guidance clearly sets out the legal responsibilities of social and private sector landlords to their tenants and the serious health risks that damp and mould pose.

The guidance is published jointly by the Office for Health Improvement and Disparities, Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, and the UK Health Security Agency, following extensive engagement with the housing and health sectors, including tenant representative groups.

The UK Government is clear that damp and mould should not be dismissed as a ‘lifestyle choice’ and that action to remove pervasive damp and mould must be taken by landlords. The guidance makes clear that it is the responsibility of landlords to identify the underlying causes of damp and mould – such as structural issues or inadequate ventilation – and to find long term solutions.

The guidance also sets out how living in a home with damp and mould can significantly affect the physical and mental health of tenants and outlines how people with certain health conditions, children and older adults are at greater risk of more severe health impacts.

Families are eating less healthily and turning to ready meals and processed foods due to the cost of living crisis, a BBC survey has found.

More than two-thirds of people (69%) said they considered themselves to be healthy eaters but 28% said they were eating less nutritious food because it is too expensive, according to the BBC Good Food Nation survey.

The study of 2013 adults across the UK found that 19% are eating more ready meals and processed foods because they are cheaper, while 17% are cooking less from scratch.

The survey, which looks at shopping, cooking and eating habits, found that three in five people (60%) have changed what they eat due to the rising cost of ingredients. This includes 16% who said they have cut back on organic ingredients and 12% who said they were eating less protein as they struggled to cope with higher food bills. The study found that 15% are taking more packed lunches to work to save money.

Meanwhile, over a quarter (28%) of respondents said they had changed their supermarket due to the cost of living crisis and 4% said they had used food banks or alternatives to shops. More than two-thirds of people (68%) said price was the most important factor when picking a supermarket.

Overall, 61% said the cost of living had affected their healthy eating habits in some way, including being more conscious of eating healthily because they cannot afford to get sick (18%) and eating less healthily due to stress (15%). The poll found that 13% said they were eating less healthily due to having less time to cook because of working longer hours.

More than a third of respondents (36%) said they were producing fewer leftovers, with their reasons being to save money (59%); because they are meal planning more carefully (44%); and to reduce waste to help the planet (34%). The survey found that the four most common foods people threw away were salad leaves (31%), bread (29%), fruit (24%) and vegetables (23%).

Christine Hayes, editor-in-chief of BBC Good Food, said the survey shows that “we consider ourselves a nation of healthy eaters and we care about what we eat.

“However, rising costs have impacted choices and compromises have had to be made with people buying more processed food and ready meals and swapping supermarkets to save money.”

But increasing costs have not stopped households from embracing technological innovations. Almost half of those surveyed (46%) said they owned an air fryer while another 23% said they were planning a purchase. Meanwhile, one in seven people (14%) said they had used artificial intelligence tools to create a recipe and 12% had used them to create a shopping list.

Hayes added: “The BBC Good Food Nation findings show we embrace innovations in food preparation – air fryers are now part of our everyday lives.”

Sue Davies, Which? head of food policy, said: “These findings echo our own research findings that many people are finding it more difficult to eat healthily as millions struggle with increased food prices and other high household bills.

“Supermarkets have an important role supporting people through this crisis. This includes helping customers who rely on more expensive convenience stores by ensuring they stock a range of budget products that enable people to have a healthy diet.”

The IFEH Magazine Environment & Health International October 2023 Edition is now available here.

Articles for the next addition are being sought and can be submitted to the editor at Andrew.Mathieson@anu.edu.au

Wet wipes containing plastic could be banned as part of proposals to tackle plastic and microplastic pollution.

The consultation, which is being undertaken by all four UK nations, seeks views on a proposed ban on the manufacture, supply and sale of plastic-containing wet wipes across the UK.

Wet wipes containing plastic break down into microplastics over time, which can be harmful to the environment and human health. Banning these products would help alleviate this issue, as well as reducing the volume of microplastics entering wastewater treatment plants when wrongly flushed.

Wet wipes contribute to up to 94% of sewer blockages, which can lead to damage to properties and can result in sewage-related litter entering the environment.

The consultation comes in response to public calls for action to tackle plastic pollution in waterways, and widespread support for the proposed ban.  

The Scottish Government’s consultation on a ban for single-use plastics products found most respondents supported action on wet wipes containing plastic, including a potential ban.

Circular Economy Minister Lorna Slater said:

“This is very welcome progress towards a goal we all want to achieve: tackling plastic pollution. Wet wipes containing plastic are an avoidable and yet a growing source of beach litter. They are unsightly; they pose risks to the environment and wildlife; and annually they contribute to around 36,000 sewer system blockages in Scotland, risking flooding and costing approximately £7 million to clear.

“This is only the first step: legislation alone cannot solve this issue and we all need to be more careful about what we flush. We continue to support Scottish Water’s ‘Nature Calls’ campaign highlighting the impact of inappropriately-flushed items and the damage they cause to our environment.

“We have already successfully delivered a ban on other single-use plastic products such as straws and cutlery – which also contribute to marine litter. This will deliver on a commitment made in our Marine Litter Strategy and is another important step on our journey towards a truly circular economy.”   

The consultation will run until 25^th November 2023.  

The last OPSON XII operation took place over five months between December 2022 and April 2023 and involved 25 countries, including the United Kingdom.

Operation OPSON is a Europol INTERPOL joint operation targeting fake and substandard food and beverages which has been occurring annually since 2011 with it being in its 12th consecutive year.

Operation OPSON in figures :

• 8 000 tonnes of illicit products seized 
• 6.5 million litres of mostly alcoholic beverages
• 400 inspections
• 143 arrest warrants issued
• 168 search warrants executed
• 119 individuals reported to judicial authorities
• 6 criminal networks disrupted

The main products seized:

(in order of quantity)

• Alcoholic beverages
• Cereals, grains and derived products
• Fruits/vegetables/legumes
• Sweet and sugary products
• Meat and meat products
• Seafood 
• Dairy products
• Food supplements/additives

Some of the frauds discovered :

Trafficking spoiled food across the EU

The exchange of information through Europol led to the detection of a company recycling spoiled or expired food in France, Germany, Italy, Lithuania and Spain. The criminal organisation, led by a Lithuanian citizen, was conducting illegal operations across these four countries, including the illegal relabelling and trafficking of spoiled and expired food. The first phase of the operational activities in Italy and Lithuania led to 27 arrests. The investigation, led by the Lithuanian Criminal Police Bureau (Lietuvos kriminalinės policijos biuras), led to 24 arrests, while the parallel case in Italy led to the arrests of three other individuals. The total seizures following the operational activities amounts to more than 1.5 million packages.     

Meat Fraud

Two investigations led by the Spanish Civil Guard (Guardia Civil), one conducted in Seville and one in Zaragoza, targeted fraud involving meat products. In the first investigation, two individuals were charged with crimes against public health, forgery and fraud for trafficking ham without traceability and with a manipulated expiry date. The operation led to the seizure of 48 896 kg and 3 000 pieces of ham and sausage. The second investigation targeted a criminal network trafficking expired meats, fish and seafood. The suspects falsified the labelling and trafficking of the food without going through the mandatory regulatory process. The results of the operational activities include 8 arrests, 48 individuals under investigation and the identification, seizure and destruction of more than 25 tonnes of food products.

Sweet sugar wine 

An operation led by the Spanish Civil Gard (Guardia Civil) in Albacete uncovered a sugar fraud perpetrated by three individuals and involving two companies. The suspects exported products from invert sugar, which they presented as grape derivatives and concentrated grape juice. This manoeuvre allowed them to double and in some cases triple the sale price and resulting profits. The main destinations of the exports were countries outside the European Union, mainly South Africa. The operational activities led to the seizure of two tanks containing 1.08 tonnes of invert sugar with a retail value of EUR 1.3 million.

Protected food names

The misuse of protected food names was also the focus of the operational activities. In the United Kingdom, authorities performed checks on protected food name products in food service establishments, such as restaurants, and in individual retailers. The checks identified cases of non-compliance with products, such as feta, Parmigiano Reggiano and Grana Padano cheeses, and meats such as Prosciutto di Parma and products of UK origin such as Welsh beef, Cornish pasties and watercress. The checks identified mislabelling, the temporary unavailability of a specified ingredient in restaurants, but also a lack of understanding of the regulations governing the use of protected food names.

The Europol-coordinated operation, OPSON Europe, took place between December 2022 and April 2023. This year’s operation is the 12th consecutive operation OPSON. 

A factory worker has been jailed after he admitted to tampering with food products destined for Nando’s restaurants.

Garry Jones, 38, worked for Harvey & Brockless Fine Food Company, a manufacturing firm based in Evesham that produces large quantities of items for restaurants across the country, including Nando’s and The Ivy Group.

Jones had earlier pleaded guilty to contaminating goods that are supplied to Nando’s. None of the contaminated goods ever reached customers.

In his role at the factory, Jones worked as a ‘picker’ on the late shift, whose responsibility was to collect all of the required ingredients for the next day’s cooking.

CCTV cameras inside the factory showed Jones deliberately tampering with tubs of hummus and salad dressings when he was alone.

From October 28 2022, Harvey & Brockless were informed that dozens of their products had been contaminated with items including rubber gloves, plastic bags and metal ring pulls.

Following an internal investigation of the affected products, which found other boxes had also been tampered with, the firm determined an employee must have been behind the contamination and the police were contacted.

Harvey & Brockless’s products go through a metal detector before leaving the kitchen area, meaning they could not have been tampered with during the production process and must have been contaminated in the storage area of the factory.

Jones raised further alarm when footage showed him mixing an unknown substance into raw ingredients that were to be prepared for production the following day.

He was arrested on 10 November and questioned by West Midlands Police, where he later admitted during his police interview to combining fish sauce with soy sauce on one occasion.

Mehree Kamranfar, Senior Crown Prosecutor for CPS West Midlands, said: “This was an extremely disturbing case that could have had far-reaching implications had the defendant not been caught.

“Jones knowingly and maliciously contaminated food products that were going to be distributed to some of the most popular high street restaurants across the country.

“The cross-contamination caused alarm both within the company and externally, as Jones’s utter disregard, particularly in mixing fish sauce with raw ingredients, could have threatened serious harm to those with allergies.

“In addition, sabotaging the food products supplied by Harvey & Brockless not only cost the firm thousands of pounds, it also threatened to destroy the company’s reputation.

“When faced with the overwhelming evidence presented by the prosecution team Jones pleaded guilty to both charges. I want to thank West Midlands Police and the prosecution team for building the strongest possible case, which saw him convicted and today sentenced.”

Jones also admitted a separate charge of burglary, after he was found to have broken into a colleague’s house through a window and stolen a pink hairbrush.

Garry Jones was charged with contaminating goods contrary to section 38(1) of the Public Order Act 1986 and burglary contrary to section 9(1)(a) of the Theft Act 1968 and was sentenced to 42 months imprisonment following a hearing at Worcester Crown Court.

Director of Professional Development

The Institute is pleased to welcome Carol Walker, Chartered EHO to the position of Director of Professional Development. Carol will start on 9 October where she, along with Jacqueline Cunningham will work together in delivering the Professional Development function.

We would like to express a huge thank you to Karen Keeley, who leaves us in October. Karen has achieved a vast amount of work in her time at the Institute and will be very much missed. We wish Karen all the very best for the future.

Professional Examination

The Professional Interview diet is taking place Tuesday 26 – Thursday 28 September 2023 at the Carnegie Conference Centre, Dunfermline. The Institute wishes the best of luck to all candidates.

Presenters Seminar – 11 October 2023

We have had a big response to the Presenters Update Seminar which is taking place on Wednesday 11 October in Perth, with many centres recognising the value of the day and eager to attend. There are still some spaces left but please note the closing date for booking is Thursday 28 September 2023. For more information REHIS Presenters Update Seminar – REHIS

REHIS Website

There are lots of resources on our website, so please check it out, whether you are a member and wish to access additional learning resources in the members only section, or you are a Presenter wishing to update your training resources, or you are simply interested in learning more about the work of the Institute. Royal Environmental Health Institute of Scotland – REHIS

Environmental Health Update and Annual General Meeting

The free to members Environmental Health Update is being held as a hybrid event on the morning of Friday 17 November from the Edinburgh Training and Conference Centre. This event will be followed by the Institute’s 23rd Annual General Meeting REHIS Environmental Health Update/AGM – REHIS