Independent review finds no link between Coatbridge school and ill health
- 10 August 2019
The independent review into the Buchanan and St Ambrose High School campus at Coatbridge has concluded that the schools are safe and that there is no link between the school campus and illness. As part of the review, water, soil and air samples from the former landfill site were assessed, along with the integrity of […]
Glasgow scientists develop artificial tongue to tackle counterfeit whisky
- 9 August 2019
An artificial "tongue" which can taste subtle differences between whiskies could help tackle the trade in counterfeit alcohol trade, scientists say. In a paper published in the Royal Society of Chemistry’s journal Nanoscale, Scottish engineers describe how they built the tiny taster, which exploits the optical properties of gold and aluminium to test the differences between the […]
The Asian Hornet Handbook
- 5 August 2019
A practical guide to Asian hornets is now available. Around 2004, the Asian or yellow-legged hornet (Vespa velutina nigrithorax) was accidentally imported into southern France from China, and it has spread through western European countries with astonishing speed. Since 2016 there have been incursions into the UK, including Scotland and these are becoming more frequent […]
BBC documentary explores Mad Cow Disease
- 26 July 2019
A BBC documentary examines the events surrounding the bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) meat scandal and asks if we are still living with the aftermath in the form of variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (vCJD), which has killed almost 200 people since 1996. Mad Cow Disease: The Great British Beef Scandal looks at how this still incurable and […]
Scots recycling food waste increases to record high
- 26 July 2019
Scots are recycling more food waste than ever according to new reports published by Zero Waste Scotland. A total of approximately 158,500 tonnes of household and commercial solid food waste was collected in 2017, compared with the 2013 figure of 111,500 tonnes. The increase had prevented the equivalent of 41,500 tonnes of carbon dioxide being […]
Children from deprived areas six times more exposed to tobacco retail, Scottish study reveals
- 26 July 2019
Children in deprived areas are exposed to significantly more tobacco sales than those from wealthier neighbourhoods. This was the finding of new collaborative research between the Universities of Glasgow and Edinburgh, which was published in the journal Tobacco Control. The researchers used GPS-trackers to follow a group of almost 700 10-and-11-year-olds from across Scotland. They found […]
More than 60,000 complaints about pests in local authority housing
- 26 July 2019
Local Authorities in Scotland have dealt with more than 60,000 complaints about pests in local authority housing in the last three years. The figures were obtained by the Liberal Democrats using Freedom of Information showed councils across Scotland reported the following number of complaints: 2016 – 22,236 2017 – 17,567 2018 – 21,365 Therefore, over […]
Water and soil testing to be undertaken at school campus
- 25 July 2019
Water and environment testing will be carried out at St Ambrose and Buchanan high school campus in Coatbridge. This is part of an independent review that is being conducted in relation to reported health and safety concerns at two Coatbridge schools after water supply contamination fears. The review team is looking at specific health and […]
Ayrshire new potatoes to receive PGI status
- 22 July 2019
Ayrshire new potatoes are to be granted protected geographic indication (PGI) status by the EU at the end of the month, after a three- year campaign to be given the status. The potatoes, also known as Ayrshire Earlies, will be one of 15 listed PGIs in Scotland and includes Scotch whisky, Stornoway Black Pudding and […]
Scottish Government considering disposable cup charge
- 22 July 2019
The Scottish Government is considering a proposal to charge consumers 20 to 25p for single-use disposable cups, after an expert panel found it would encourage more use of reusable alternatives. The Expert Panel on Environmental Charging and Other Measures(EPECOM) found 200 million single-use disposable beverage cups were consumed each year in Scotland and without intervention, this […]
Health boards get £1.7m funding to help to reduce child obesity
- 21 July 2019
Health boards in Scotland are to be given a share of £1.7 million to deliver new standards for weight management services for children and young people. The Scottish government funding is part of a plan to halve the number of overweight under-18s by 2030 and reduce diet-related health inequalities. It is a reaction to growing inequality in […]
Food hygiene failure proves costly for Nairn restaurant owner
- 16 July 2019
A Nairn restaurant and take-away owner has been prosecuted by the Highland Council after officers from Environmental Health uncovered a catalogue of unsafe food hygiene practices. An inspection of the Al Raj Restaurant, in Harbour Street, Nairn was carried out on 21 September 2017 as part of Operation Hottah which is a multi-agency operation involving […]
