From 1 April 2021, Food Standards Scotland (FSS) will take on formal responsibility for making sure businesses comply with laws ensuring feed for animals is safe in Scotland.
FSS will pick up this role (and become the ‘Competent Authority’) from Scottish local authorities which have been responsible for delivering the service, delivering official controls (statutory duties with regard to the production of food all along the supply chain) to date.
FSS will provide additional support and funding to organisations involved in this important work and, under new regulations laid in the Scottish Parliament, will be able to delegate functions to other qualified organisations to help with delivery.
FSS intends to delegate routine official controls such as inspections and sampling to local authorities who have capacity to deliver. Confirmation of the participating local authorities and the areas they will cover, are available on the FSS website.
FSS has consulted widely with local authorities and industry stakeholders and there is broad support for this new delegation model, which will help maintain the skills and knowledge of local authority officers and maintain the benefits of local knowledge.
