, nativename_a = , nativename_r = , logo = Food Standards Scotland logo.svg , logo_width = 200px , logo_caption = , seal = , seal_width = , seal_caption = , picture = , picture_width = , picture_caption = , formed = , preceding1 = , dissolved = , superseding = , jurisdiction =

Scotland Scotland (, ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Covering the northern third of the island of Great Britain, mainland Scotland has a border with England to the southeast and is otherwise surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean to the ...

, headquarters = Pilgrim House, Old Ford Road,

Aberdeen Aberdeen (; sco, Aiberdeen ; gd, Obar Dheathain ; la, Aberdonia) is a city in North East Scotland, and is the third most populous city in the country. Aberdeen is one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas (as Aberdeen City), and ...

, AB11 5RL , region_code = SCT , coordinates = , employees =160 , budget = £20million , minister1_name =

Joe Fitzpatrick Joseph Martin FitzPatrick (born 1 April 1967) is a Scottish politician who is a member of the Scottish National Party (SNP), and has been the Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP) for Dundee City West since the 2007. He is Convener of the Sc ...

, minister1_pfo = Minister for Public Health, Sport and Wellbeing , chief1_name =

Ross Finnie James Ross Finnie (born 11 February 1947) is a Scottish Liberal Democrat politician and a former Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP). He is a former Minister for the Environment and Rural Development in the Scottish Executive, and Member ...

, chief1_position =Chair , chief2_name =Geoff Ogle , chief2_position = Chief executive , parent_agency = , child1_agency = , keydocument1 = , website = , footnotes = , map = , map_width = , map_caption = Food Standards Scotland ( gd, Inbhe-Bidhe Alba) is a

non-ministerial government department Non-ministerial government departments (NMGDs) are a type of department of the United Kingdom government that deal with matters for which direct political oversight has been judged unnecessary or inappropriate. They are headed by senior civil se ...

of the Scottish Government. It is responsible for

food safety Food safety (or food hygiene) is used as a scientific method/discipline describing handling, preparation, and storage of food in ways that prevent food-borne illness. The occurrence of two or more cases of a similar illness resulting from t ...

food standards Standards of identity for food are mandatory requirements that are set by a governing body to determine what a food product must contain to be marketed under a certain name in allowable commerce. Mandatory standards, which differ from voluntary grad ...

nutrition Nutrition is the biochemical and physiological process by which an organism uses food to support its life. It provides organisms with nutrients, which can be metabolized to create energy and chemical structures. Failure to obtain sufficient n ...

, food labelling and

meat Meat is animal flesh that is eaten as food. Humans have hunted, farmed, and scavenged animals for meat since prehistoric times. The establishment of settlements in the Neolithic Revolution allowed the domestication of animals such as chic ...

inspection in

. Established by the Food (Scotland) Act 2015, Food Standards Scotland has taken over the responsibilities of the UK-wide organisation, the

Food Standards Agency , type = Non-ministerial government department , nativename = , nativename_a = , nativename_r = , logo = Food Standards Agency.svg , logo_width = , logo_caption = , seal = , seal_width = , seal_caption = , picture = , picture_width = , ...

, in Scotland.

Duties

The key areas of responsibility outlined in the Act include: * making sure food in Scotland remains safe to eat * providing advice around improving diet and nutrition for people in Scotland * providing regulation effectively and proportionately * supporting the food and drink industry in Scotland, including its reputation * supporting food and drink policy in Scotland As well as replacing the duties of the Food Standards Agency in Scotland, Food Standards Scotland has a role in diet and nutrition policy. It also has powers to be able to seize food where labelling rules have not been met. FSS has a consumer protection role: making sure that food is safe to eat, ensuring consumers know what they are eating and improving nutrition. FSS has a vision of a food and drink environment in Scotland that benefits, protects and is trusted by consumers. FSS has a role in providing information and advice on food safety and standards, nutrition and labelling. The information provided is intended to be independent, consistent, evidence-based and consumer-focused. FSS develops policies, provides policy and consumer advice and delivers a robust regulatory and enforcement strategy. FSS is funded mainly by government and charges fees to recover costs for regulatory functions.

Governance

The FSS Board meets in public. Policy recommendations and decisions, and the reasons for them, will be publicly available via the website.

Background

In 2010, the

UK Government ga, Rialtas a Shoilse gd, Riaghaltas a Mhòrachd , image = HM Government logo.svg , image_size = 220px , image2 = Royal Coat of Arms of the United Kingdom (HM Government).svg , image_size2 = 180px , caption = Royal Arms , date_es ...

decided to move responsibility for nutrition and food labelling and standards in England from the Food Standards Agency (FSA) to the Department of Health and the

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) is a department of His Majesty's Government responsible for environmental protection, food production and standards, agriculture, fisheries and rural communities in the United K ...

(Defra). Following this the Scottish Government commissioned an independent review to assess the feasibility of establishing a stand-alone Scottish food standards body. The review was led by Professor Jim Scudamore and reported in 2012.

Transition

Having been established by legislation in January 2015, Food Standards Scotland was launched on 1 April 2015. In advance of the legislation being finalised the FSA in Scotland moved their office to The Pilgrim House, in the centre of

. In November 2014, it was announced that

would be appointed as the Chair of Food Standards Scotland. Geoff Ogle who had been Acting Director for the Scottish branch of Food Standards Agency since June 2014 became the new organisation's Chief Executive.

Passage of the Bill

Plans to create a new food standards body in Scotland were announced by Ministers in June 2012. A public consultation ran between February and May 2013. The Bill passed Stage 2 on the legislative process in November 2014. The Bill was introduced to

Scottish Parliament The Scottish Parliament ( gd, Pàrlamaid na h-Alba ; sco, Scots Pairlament) is the devolved, unicameral legislature of Scotland. Located in the Holyrood area of the capital city, Edinburgh, it is frequently referred to by the metonym Holyro ...

on 13 March 2014. The Bill passed Stage 2 of the legislative process on 11 November 2014. In August 2014, support for the new body was given by MSPs on the Health and Sport Committee. It received Royal assent on 13 January 2015.

References

External links

* {{Authority control 2015 establishments in Scotland British food and drink organisations Food policy in the United Kingdom Food safety organizations Food safety in the United Kingdom Non-ministerial departments of the Scottish Government Regulators of Scotland