Food Standards Scotland Board Meeting June 2016

Ross Finnie chaired the meeting and firstly announced that QMSBoard member, Louise Welsh had been appointed to vice chair of FSS.

Geoff Ogle submitted a written report and commented upon diet and Eatwell guide publicity accusing that the guide is driven by the food industry. FSS position was that the obesity problem is not because of the Eatwell guide but because it is not being followed. GO claimed conclusions are evidence based. A review of the qualities / problems of fat has been supported given media suggestions that the current evidence drawn from research might be suspect. RF highlighted that there was a problem with conflicting, confusing and constantly changing statements on diet and health.

Meat Hygiene Charging
A series of meetings were held with stakeholders to explain the new charging structure for this year. Meetings were positive and welcomed by the industry. Their only concern at this stage relates to conduct and charging for partial audits. FSS feels that the industry can do more to reduce the cost of official control delivery and are conducting a plant by plant analysis over the next six months to evaluate this.

The meeting discussed FSS Corporate Plan, Audit and Risk Committee Report and Financial Performance Report. None of this made much immediate interest for SFMTA.

Sandy McDougall presented Official Controls Delivery Principles. GO introduced this subject raising sustainability and where we need to be strategically. Controls are not 'a nice to have' but necessary especially for food businesses in the export market. SM said there is a degree of urgency, driven by both the declining resources and the need for FSS to decide what we want to do to inform their decisions with regards to delivery from 2018 when the current OC contracts on meat and shellfish expire.

A stakeholder engagement strategy will be developed ahead of consultation. The proposed principles state that OCs should ensure that non-compliant businesses become compliant, and where businesses are persistently non- compliant, OCs should be effective in preventing such businesses from operating. The cost to businesses of non-compliance should be more than the cost of compliance. Non-compliance should not be supported by public subsidy.

The Board agreed the principles on which they engage and consult with stakeholders. Agreeing principles at the outset is important as learned from the revision of Meat Hygiene charging.

Review of the memorandum of understanding (MoU) between Food Standards Scotland (FSS) and the Food Standards Agency (FSA) will continue. The MoU has operated well, and in line with its principles, during its first year and no need for significant redrafting or structural changes has been identified by either party. In addition to the arrangements formalised in the MoU, FSS and FSA have agreed how to liaise over the preparation of Board papers to ensure that they have sight of each other's plans, and will trial reciprocal arrangements for attendance at relevant parts of respective senior management team meetings.

Next Board Meeting will be held in Aberdeen on Wednesday 17 August 2016