Scottish Food Enforcement Liaison Committee – April 2018

Billy Hamilton chaired the meeting. 15 attended.

FSS Audit Update
National Audit Systems will audit the FSS auditors. These are the people who audit local authorities. Frequency tends to be four year cycle. Don't know if they will cover all Official Controls.
Quandary over whether Sante F should be shown red or green audits? This was a lengthy presentation with interest primarily for local authorities.

Fishy BusinessӬAn Investigation Into Food Fraud at Sea Pac.
Fish products that were sent to Russia went through Fraserburgh Freezing and Cold Storage and Shetland Products Ltd. Russia required health certificates to be issued by vets, not EHOs.
In 2013 a micro test failed and Russians further tested and suspended trade with Fraserburgh Freezing. The business claimed that someone was using their identity.
A private vet in York had issued the certificates and false ID also included Shetland Products.
Product in name of Shetland Products was detained at Hull. The source was two businesses in Hull who had no authorisation to trade with Russia.
Aberdeen City Council obtained a warrant to search Sea-PAC Ltd. Information was taken from laptops, mobile phones etc.
Father of the director at FF appeared to have been person falsifying ID. He bought products from various establishments and transported to Grimsby where they were relabelled and given health certificates.
After a full year of investigation there was a pile of evidence and witness statements. Police were surprised at the complexity.
Charged in 2015 for falsely labelling and presentation, lack of traceability, and exporting contrary to business agreement. £479,000
Plead guilty to proceeds of crime of £210,000 and given 300 hours of community service.
Was it worth it?
Larger scale than Horse meat. Equivalent of one year of 4 EHOs time and cost. Innocent parties had been misrepresented and suffered.
Fish exports to Russia were worth £18m.
£759m per annum is the size of value of fish exports to Scotland.

FSS update
Contained nothing of relevance to meat industry

Food Safety Sub Committee
New working groups, charging group and import/export Brexit group. Will review FHIS.

Food Standards Sub Committee
Guidance required for unpasteurised cheese in catering establishments.

Ian McWatt FSS Update
Referred to Russel Hume and Two Sisters.
Two chairs and CEO of FSA and FSS have launched a review of all cutting plants and approved premises. Targeted look at the performance of the sector in the wake of non compliance. Only in cutting plants and approved premises, not the entire meat industry, not manufacturers or retailers.

Nine key workstreams
Evidence review – what we think we know, what we should know
As-is modelling including mapping out business practices
As-is modelling including mapping out local authorities
Data analysis
Communication
Intervention strategies
Competency access meant
Project management
Industry Assurance Schemes.

Despite significant interventions, still sign concern over compliance in the sector. Evidence shows that LA and FSA that the sector has the highest levels of compliance.

Game sector has plants manufacturing, mincing and packing.
IM has opened “Pandora's box” – range from hobbyist to serious traders. They do not talk to each other. Failures throughout the supply chain and risk is significant to give public health concerns.
Venison handlers licences are still required. Only two local authorities still issuing them.

Requests for list of customers and GDPR.
Confirmed that EHOs have every right to ask for list of customers under Food Scotland Act, this includes personal data.

Next meeting: Friday 22 June 2018, Mercure Hotel, Perth