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The August 2013 edition of the REHIS e-Newsletter ‘News for Public Health Professionals’ has been uploaded to this website and is accessible from a dedicated public access portal to the right of this news item.

We would like to add more articles from members and environmental health/public health colleagues to the Institute’s e- Newsletter. Topics can vary from nominating a colleague for a profile piece or to highlighting an environmental or public health issue. If there’s something interesting happening in your department or workplace, we want to know about it!
If you want to have an informal discussion with the editor then get in touch with Jim Thomson by email at jt@

The Summer 2013 edition of Environmental Health Scotland, the REHIS Journal, can be accessed by Members by clicking on the link  Summer Journal 2013

The Health Protection Network (HPN), supported by Health Protection Scotland, has published updated guidance on rabies prophylaxis and management in humans in Scotland.

The guidance was originally issued in 2010 and was well received by colleagues throughout NHS Scotland, many of whom stated they felt colleagues in non-health protection roles, including GPs and frontline hospital staff, would also benefit from access to this guidance. As a result, we would welcome your support in sharing this guidance with your colleagues.

 Updates in the 2013 guidance include:

• Changes to the supply of Human Rabies Immunoglobulin (HRIG)
• New table on pre-exposure prophylaxis for travellers
• Changes to the pets Travel Scheme
• New link to the updated Green Book Chapter on rabies.

 The guidance offers clear, easy to follow advice on pre and post exposure immunisation as well as administration and financial arrangements for health professionals throughout NHS Scotland.  The guidance is not intended to advise on clinical case management or animal handling, except where the latter affects the management of potential human exposure.

The guidance is attached and is also available at (http://www.hps.scot.nhs.uk/giz/guidelinedetail.aspx?id=46619 )

BSI, the UK’s National Standards Body, has just released for public consultation the draft of a European standard that will establish a benchmark for procurement and enable professional pest management companies to differentiate themselves in the market.

The total value of the UK pest control market is now approaching £350m, having grown despite the economic downturn.While all products used in the pest management industry are controlled by legislation, there is currently no common standard for the delivery of pest control services in the UK or Europe recognized by industry or consumers.

The new European standard has been developed by an expert panel comprising experts from across the European pest control industry, with major input from UK industry experts via a national BSI committee.

The draft EN 16636, Pest management services – Requirements and competences is available for comment until 4 November 2013 on BSI’s Draft Review System at http://drafts.bsigroup.com/Home/Details/51554

This is your chance to influence the development of a document that sets out the standard by which the pest control industry will be measured. The standard is expected to publish in the spring of 2015.

The FSA has recently published the findings of its research into domestic kitchen practices. The findings of the study, called Kitchen Life, offers for the first time detailed insights into what people actually do and why in UK kitchens, and will help to develop our thinking about how to reduce the burden of foodborne disease.

Click on the link Kitchen Life for details and further information.

The 2013 Scottish Green Apple Awards for Environmental Best Practice will be presented in Edinburgh Zoo’s Budongo Theatre on Monday 2 September. Proceedings will commence at 4.30pm and Paul Wheelhouse MSP, Minister for Environment and Climate Change, has been invited to make the presentations. Full information on the awards is available at www.thegreenorganisation.info/.

A group commissioned to identify lessons learned from the horsemeat fraud issue has published its findings.

Led by former Chief Vet Professor Jim Scudamore, the report makes a number of recommendations intended to improve the food safety and standards regime in Scotland.

The news release from the Scottish Government is attached.

To access the full report click on the link – Putting Food Safety first

The results of a survey exploring attitudes, reported behaviours and knowledge around food in Scotland have been published today showing that the cost of food is perceived to be the main barrier to eating healthily for up to a sixth of the population.

Click on the link for more information Scotland Food and You

The July 2013 edition of the REHIS e-Newsletter ‘News for Public Health Professionals’ has been uploaded to this website and is accessible from a dedicated public access portal to the right of this news item.

If you wish to feature any Environmental Health or Public Health initiative, event or activity in the REHIS Newsletter, please contact Jim Thomson, Policy/Professional Development Officer, The Royal Environmental Health Institute of Scotland, 19 Torphichen Street, Edinburgh or jt@

Last week the UK launched its new front of pack (FoP) nutrition labelling scheme. The scheme combines the use of red, amber and green colour coding and percentage reference intakes, alongside the amounts of energy, fat, saturated fat (saturates), sugars and salt in a defined portion of food. Two sets of guidance on nutrition labelling have been published:

1. Guidance on creating front of pack labels that comply with the scheme that was today recommended to businesses by all four UK Health Ministers
2. Technical guidance on the nutrition-related aspects of EU Regulation No. 1169/2011 on the provision of food information to consumers (EU FIC).

 See the attached document from the Food Standards Agency Scotland for more information about the scheme.

Europe’s environment now healthier – but new risks emerging

Europeans live longer and healthier lives than in the past, partly due to successful environmental policies that have reduced the exposure to harmful environmental contaminants in air, water and food, according to a new report. However, these contaminants are still a problem, and several new health risks are emerging, for example, from new chemicals, new products and changing lifestyle patterns.

Click on the link EEA/JRC report on Environment and Health for more information.

Grease Smoke & Odour Control: Controlling emission from Commercial Cooking Processes

The aim of the training event is to provide professionals/technical officers with an insight into controlling emissions from commercial catering operations. It will provide information on the various techniques and equipment that are available on the market currently to tackle this type of problem. As well as inform delegates about the design of commercial catering ventilation systems.

The seminar provides an excellent opportunity to learn from the speaker and to discuss relevant issues with peers, raise questions on the subject matter.

See the attached flyer for more information about dates and venues