Multi-country outbreak of Listeria monocytogenes
- 6 July 2018
Frozen corn and possibly other frozen vegetables are the likely source of an outbreak of Listeria monocytogenes that has been affecting five EU Member States Austria, Denmark, Finland, Sweden, and the United Kingdom since 2015. This is the conclusion of a rapid outbreak assessment by European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) and the European Centre for […]
Tackling plastic pollution- Deposit return scheme consultation
- 6 July 2018
The public is being asked to shape a deposit return scheme for drinks containers as a way of reducing plastic pollution. People would pay a small deposit when they buy a drink in a single-use container and get that money back when it is returned empty. A consultation on a Deposit Return Scheme for Scotland […]
Charges dropped against firms linked to 2012 Legionella outbreak
- 6 July 2018
Charges brought against three out of five companies following an outbreak of Legionnaires Disease in the west of Edinburgh have been dropped. The legal case against the North British Distillery Company Limited, Pera Services Limited and Chemtech Consultancy Limited ended on 29 June when not guilty pleas were accepted. The five companies were originally charged […]
Argyll and Bute Hotel plan to serve burgers made from midges
- 23 June 2018
An Argyll and Bute hotel owner plans to serve burgers made with midges to his customers. David Keat, who owns the Brander Lodge Hotel near Oban, said he would harvest the midges from the hotel’s midge exterminator machines. The burgers would be dipped in a coat of midges, like breadcrumbs, and a special secret ingredient […]
No fatal accident inquiry into death of a girl following E.coli O157 outbreak
- 23 June 2018
The Crown Office has decided not to carry out a fatal accident inquiry (FAI) into the death of a three-year-old girl during an outbreak of E.coli O157 in 2016. The Crown Office had previously said South Lanarkshire-based Errington Cheese would not face prosecution over the child’s death. The firm’s Dunsyre Blue was named the most […]
Action plan for “tobacco free generation” published
- 23 June 2018
Further actions to stop young people taking up smoking and raise a tobacco-free generation have been outlined. The Scottish Government’s updated Tobacco Control Action Plan sets out 44 specific actions to address health inequalities and cut smoking rates in the communities where people find it most difficult to quit. These include legislating to restrict smoking […]
Meat traces “found in supermarket vegetarian meals”
- 23 June 2018
The Food Standards Agency has begun an investigation following claims that traces of meat were found in food classified as vegan or vegetarian. The Daily Telegraph tested ten vegan and vegetarian products at Tesco and Sainsbury’s and found meat in two. According to the newspaper’s investigation, a German government-accredited food testing laboratory found traces of […]
Alcohol consumption ‘still significant health concern’
- 23 June 2018
NHS Health Scotland has published the latest data on Scotland’s relationship with alcohol. The report, ‘Monitoring and Evaluating Scotland’s Alcohol Strategy: Monitoring Report 2018’ found that 10.2 litres of pure alcohol were sold per adult in Scotland, equivalent to 19.6 units per adult per week. This means that enough alcohol was sold last year in […]
REHIS to mark UK Clean Air Day by being involved in Edinburgh’s fume-free celebrations
- 20 June 2018
Hotfoot it to The Mound, East George Street and the Assembly Rooms in Edinburgh on Thursday 21 June for the start of a free two-day Summer Summit to mark National Clean Air Day. REHIS will be heavily involved in the event with our Chief Executive Tom Bell’s keynote speech at the Air Quality, Public Health […]
New public health priorities for a healthier nation
- 15 June 2018
Scotland is aiming to be a world leader in improving the public’s health, through a new vision for organisations and communities across the country. The Scottish Government and COSLA have jointly published public health priorities for Scotland, aimed at focussing action across the public sector and voluntary sector and in communities. The priorities are the […]
Call for participation in World Environmental Health Day
- 14 June 2018
World Environmental Health Day was launched by the IFEH Council at its meeting in Indonesia on the 26 September 2011. Every year since 2011 this date has been earmarked to celebrate as World Environmental Health Day with a particular theme celebrating an environmental health issue Worldwide. REHIS has featured prominently in the past, particularly in […]
Witnessing history: a personal view of half a century in public health
- 14 June 2018
An interesting journal article has been published by the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh focusing on developments of public health in the last 50 years from a personal perspective. The paper examines five decades of developments in public health, focusing on some of the most influential events of the period, and was inspired by […]
