NEW GUIDE PUBLISHED BY SCOTTISH GOVERNMENT TO IMPROVE CHILDCARE SETTINGS
- 10 July 2017
A new guide to enhance the design of childcare provision across Scotland is now available for local authorities, private and third sector providers. "Space to Grow – Design guidance for early learning and childcare and out of school care settings” is a result of a lot of hard work by, and positive collaboration between, the […]
JUNK FOOD ADVERTS BANNED ON MEDIA AIMED AT CHILDREN
- 10 July 2017
On the 1 July, new advertising regulations came into force banning adverts for foods that are high in fat, salt or sugar (HFSS) on all children’s media. The new regulations, announced last December after a consultation, mean that adverts that directly or indirectly promote HFSS products cannot appear in media including websites, social media and […]
FAECAL BACTERIA FOUND IN ICE FROM MAJOR COFFEE CHAINS
- 3 July 2017
A BBC Watchdog investigation of iced water from the three major coffee chains Costa, Starbucks and Caffe Nero found faecal coliform bacteria in samples. An undercover investigation revealed that iced water obtained from high street outlets Caffè Nero, Starbucks and Costa Coffee all contained faecal coliform bacteria, with a positive test found for seven out […]
LAUNCH OF EAST LOTHIAN COUNCIL APP
- 1 July 2017
A new App has been launched by East Lothian Council to help residents and visitors find information and report matters requiring environmental health action. The app which is available to download on mobile phone and other handheld devices can be used to alert the council to issues such as fly-tipping, abandoned vehicles, noise nuisance, food […]
CLIMATE CHANGE IS A THREAT TO ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH
- 20 June 2017
Climate change is a threat to environmental health On the 1 June, Donald Trump confirmed that he would withdraw the US from the Paris Agreement. The aim of this climate change pact is to strengthen the global response to the threat of climate change by keeping a global temperature rise this century well below 2oC […]
EU GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS FROM TRANSPORT INCREASE FOR THE SECOND YEAR IN A ROW
- 15 June 2017
Total European Union greenhouse gas emissions increased by 0.5 % in 2015, according to new European Environment Agency (EEA) data. Transport was a key reason for that increase: better fuel efficiency in that sector was not enough to counter the effects of an increasing demand for transport. The EEA’s new reports, 'Annual European Union greenhouse […]
EUROPEAN CONFERENCE ON ENVIRONMENT AND HEALTH
- 15 June 2017
The 6th Ministerial Conference on Environment and Health is taking place this week in Ostrava, Czechia. These series of ministerial conferences are held every five years and are coordinated by WHO/Europe. The conferences are unique, bringing together different sectors to shape European policies and actions on environment and health. The most recent conference took place […]
MOVING TOWARDS BETTER GLOBAL FOODBORNE DISEASE SURVEILLANCE
- 15 June 2017
Almost 1 in 10 people worldwide fall ill every year after eating contaminated food which commonly causes bacterial diarrhoea, resulting in 230 000 deaths each year. In an article published in Eurosurveillance, PulseNet International advocates for public health institutes and laboratories around the world to move together towards the use of whole genome sequencing (WGS) […]
NATIONAL CLEAN AIR DAY
- 14 June 2017
National Clean Air Day Today, 15 June, marks the UK’s first ever National Clean Air Day which is intended to bring focus to what we can do about air pollution- to both protect our health and reduce air pollution. What is National Clean Air Day? Air pollution is real and harms the health of millions. […]
LET’S GET COOKING CLUBS FOR SCHOOL STUDENTS
- 7 June 2017
School students are completing their REHIS Elementary Food Hygiene qualification as part of their two day “Let’s Get Cooking” course. Let’s Get Cooking in Scotland with funding from Big Lottery’s Young Start Fund the Children’s Food Trust are working in partnership with 17 secondary schools across five local authorities. There are now Let’s Get Cooking […]
SCOTLAND’S BATHING WATER SEASON BEGINS
- 2 June 2017
Scotland’s new bathing water season began on 1 June 2017 with the good news that 87% of Scotland’s bathing waters have achieved strict European water quality standards. The final classifications, now issued by the EU, show that out of the 84 officially designated bathing waters in Scotland in 2016: • 26 have been rated as […]
COULD WASHING YOUR HANDS IN COLD WATER BE AS EFFECTIVE AS HOT WATER?
- 2 June 2017
A study from US researchers claim that using unheated water to wash your hands is as effective at killing bacteria as using hot water. The small study of 20 people found using water at 15oC left hands as clean as water heated to 38oC. The study was carried out by researchers at the Rutgers University-New […]
