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In this report the Ad Hoc Group has reviewed the evidence on toxoplasmosis in humans and animals in the UK to produce a risk profile for toxoplasma in the food chain. This follows a request from the FSA to consider whether current evidence indicates a food safety issue that needs to be addressed, which food sources are most likely to present a significant risk and what further investigations may be necessary to obtain robust data on UK prevalence and foodborne sources of toxoplasmosis.

In December 2006 and March 2007 the FSA sought the views of the ACMSF on the significance of toxoplasmosis in the UK. The issue was referred to the Ad Hoc Group on Vulnerable Groups who met in December 2008 to begin their considerations on toxoplasma in the food chain. The Group met seven times over a period of 28 months.

The report is attached

The Food Standards Agency Board has appointed Professor Charles Milne as its Acting Chief Executive until Catherine Brown, the newly appointed Chief Executive, takes up her post on 16 October. Professor Milne, Director of FSA Scotland, takes up his appointment with immediate effect and will continue to discharge his duties as Director of FSA Scotland.

The Institute recognised the need for Elementary Food Hygiene training for school students some years ago.  The Food Hygiene in Schools Initiative was launched to meet that need. Schools can be approved to provide the REHIS course to students aged 13-18 inclusive, attending the school full time and who participate in the course as part of their home economics education.

The initiative allows Home Economics teachers to run the Elementary Food Hygiene Course, at a reduced cost, in schools only. They are not approved to run the course in the wider community. However, they receive the same support as that provided to normal REHIS Approved Training Centres and all the REHIS training resources are available for their use.The initiative started in 1993 and since then REHIS has issued 56,500 certificates to school children.

Since 2007 the Initiative has been funded by the Food Standards Agency Scotland and will continue to receive funding until 2015

During 2011 the Introduction to Food Hygiene Course was also made available for delivery in schools. This is a non examinable awareness raising course which is more suited to some pupils.

Both qualifications are valued by teachers and pupils alike, apart from receiving information about how to handle food safely, the pupils are gaining nationally recognised qualifications which are valued by employers throughout the food industry. The courses also fit into the   framework for the Scottish Government’s Curriculum for Excellence.

Here are a few quotes about the Initiative from HE Teachers and one from a pupil.

Liz Nicoll HE teacher at Preston Lodge High School said,

“I cannot stress enough the addition REHIS makes to the delivery of our hygiene course elements. The resources are superb and appreciated by the pupils as they are clear and easily understood. Sincere thanks from the Home Economics department”

L.Carleton, PT Home Economics Shawlands Academy said,

“We would like to thank you and your colleagues at the FSA and REHIS for supporting our students through the Food Hygiene Certificate course. This is a very valuable and worthwhile course which our students appreciate and enjoy. They can see the benefits to having the knowledge, training and certificate that the course provides. We also find that working towards the certificate is an excellent motivating tool for our students and they feel a sense of pride and satisfaction when they are awarded the certificate”

Susan Imlach, Liberton High School said,

“I have chatted to my colleagues and S5 students about the benefits of completing the REHIS course. My colleagues agree that it adds value to what we are teaching in our Hospitality courses, the materials are easy to use and the students enjoy using them, for some of our students who have very few qualifications it helps to develop their confidence in their abilities and often gives them a direction to pursue for employment which they would not have had the confidence to do so otherwise.

Matthew Gilliland a pupil at Liberton High School said ‘I have already used the certificate to add to my qualifications when applying for a job at Pizza Hut and on my college application to study Professional Cookery’

Scott Robertson, Principal Teacher of Art, Home Economics & Technology, and Stewarton Academy said,

“Stewarton Academy pupils have greatly benefited from participating in the REHIS scheme once again this year.  There have been several of our pupils left school this year and gone on to employment in the catering and hospitality industries; having gained their REHIS certificate has allowed them to work with more confidence in these sectors as well as give them an extra edge when interviewing for posts.

Some pupils have also elected to go into further education at local colleges relating to the catering and hospitality industries, which their REHIS certificate has also helped them with. Not only this; in a climate of educational change/curriculum for excellence, REHIS allows pupils to participate in a course out-with their normal curriculum which helps to develop their self esteem and confidence”.

Bishopbriggs Academy is one of the schools delivering the Elementary Course. The photograph shows pupils from the school with their certificates.

Click on the links for more information.

Food Safety Seminar and Southern Centre AGM

https:/event/food-safety-seminar-and-southern-centre-agm

REHIS Southern Centre Seminar-Investigative Skills

https:/event/rehis-southern-centre-seminar-investigative-skills

Law Enforcement Course 2012

https:/event/law-enforcement-course-2012

Certificate of Competence in Environmental Noise Measurement

https:/event/certificate-competence-environmental-noise-measurement-2

 Health Protection 2012

https:/event/health-protection-2012

The August 2012 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, tel: 0131 229 2968 or jt@

Dr Colette Backwell has been appointed as the new Director of the Scottish Food and Drink Federation (SFDF).

Dr Backwell is a respected scientist with expertise in food, nutrition, farming and animal health. She has worked at a senior level with the Scottish Government and Defra and latterly Aberdeenshire Council. Dr Backwell will take up her post on 3 September 2012 at the SFDF’s Edinburgh office.

Dr Backwell said: “The food and drink manufacturing industry is Scotland’s biggest manufacturing sector, also adding value to the economy through innovation and direct support of other industries such as tourism and agriculture. With over twenty years’ experience of working in food production and nutrition, I am delighted to have been given the opportunity to return to an industry in which I passionately believe. I look forward to working with our diverse membership from multinational companies to smaller, independently owned businesses.” 

The Scottish Food and Drink Federation (SFDF) is an independent, industry funded organisation, and is a devolved division of the UK industry body the Food and Drink Federation (FDF).

FDF Director General Melanie Leech said: “I am delighted to welcome Colette to FDF’s top team.  I look forward to working with her to continue to deliver an excellent service to our members and the industry in Scotland.”  

Food and drink is the largest manufacturing sector in the UK with a turnover of £76.2 billion per year and contributing £20.9 billion in Gross Value Added. A key focus of SFDF’s work is on the competitiveness of the industry in Scotland and improving the legal and socio-economic environment in which its members operate. It has secured Scottish Government funding for work on product reformulation and for a co-ordinator who manages the successful Future in Food schools and careers initiative that will help to secure a pipeline of well qualified and highly trained scientists and engineers to take the industry forward.

Jeff Rooker, Chair of the Food Standards Agency, has announced the appointment of Catherine Brown as the FSA’s new Chief Executive. Catherine Brown is currently the Chief Executive of the Animal Health and Veterinary Laboratories Agency, an Executive Agency of the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.

 Catherine Brown will take up the post in October. She will succeed Tim Smith who has been Chief Executive since March 2008.

 Catherine has been the Chief Executive at the AHVLA since April 2011 when the two organisations were merged. She had been the Chief Executive of Animal Health since 2008. Before joining Animal Health Catherine was a Managing Director at BUPA and she has also worked for the NHS and Unilever

 Commenting on the appointment, Jeff Rooker said:“The Board and I are delighted to welcome Catherine to the FSA”

 “Catherine’s wide-ranging experience and background, in both the private and public sectors, complement our core principles and will be valuable to the FSA as we move forward. Her experience of working and delivering in a devolved environment will be a benefit to the organisation.

 “The Board and I look forward to working with Catherine and ensuring the FSA continues protecting the consumer, regulating the food industry and enforcing the standards.

 “The Board and I want to thank Tim Smith for his valuable and successful work  at the FSA. Tim has seen the effective transfer of the Meat Hygiene Service into the FSA ensuring that the important meat hygiene work is at the core of what we do and he has given greater attention to our role as an enforcer of food law. Tim has made us a leaner and more efficient organisation, without compromising food safety and consumer confidence. We wish him every success”.

 Catherine Brown added:

“I am delighted to be joining the Food Standards Agency. It is an organisation firmly committed to protecting the interests of consumers, and one which places science and evidence at the heart of what it does. I look forward to meeting the FSA’s staff and stakeholders and helping to progress its important work”.

 Notes:

 The recruitment of the Chief Executive of the Food Standards Agency was based on fair and open competition and in accordance with Civil Service Commission’s Recruitment Principles which can be found at www.civilservicecommission.org.

The annual salary for the post will be £140,000.

 This will be a 3 year appointment with the option to reappoint.

These items are available from the Training Section.They include resources that enhance the delivery of REHIS Food Hygiene,Food and Health,HACCP and Health and Safety Courses

PRESS RELEASE

The Royal Environmental Health Institute of Scotland (REHIS) welcomes the Scottish Government’s decision to create a new Scottish body for food safety, food standards, nutrition, food labelling and meat inspection and takes this opportunity to highlight the positive contribution that Environmental Health Professionals (Environmental Health Officers and Food Safety Officers) working in Scotland’s local authorities make to the improvement and protection of public health.

To see the complete press release click on the link below.

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Consumers are alerted about the dangers of buying black-market meat, as soaring food prices have led to a sharp increase in livestock theft – with sheep rustling rising threefold in Scotland. See the whole article including a quote from Tom Bell,REHIS Chief Executive at the link below.

http://www.scotsman.com/news/health/black-market-food-alert-over-cattle-rustling-1-2373033

The first State of Contaminated Land Report for Scotland is presently being prepared by SEPA’s Martin Valenti. Martin informs REHIS that SEPA have received a 100% response and offers his sincere thanks to all Scottish local authorities for submitting their questionnaires on time.