New Food Standards Scotland board to focus on food safety

Four new members have been appointed to Scotland’s food standards board in a bid to improve food safety.

Christina Bichan, Paula Charlesworth, Phillip Couser, and former farm vet Kate Richards have joined the board for a four-year period, after previous members completed their terms.

The new members will play a key role in helping to protect consumers from food safety risks, as well as promote healthy eating.

See also: Meat: Our Expectations campaign continues to gain momentum

A spotlight was shone on food safety in March 2023, after a Farmers Weekly investigation into the meat industry found large-scale food fraud and safety concerns.

We have since launched a campaign, Meat: Our Expectations, to stamp out criminality in the sector. 

Food Standards Scotland was established in 2015 to protect the public from health risks, encourage a healthy diet and protect the other interests of consumers in relation to food.

Heather Kelman, who chairs the board, said: “This is an extremely important time for our organisation, as Scotland continues to feel the effects of our departure from the EU and the implications this has on consumer safety, and the cost-of-living crisis affects many aspects of our relationship with food.”