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Healthy, Safe, Sustainable: Driving Scotland's Food Future

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Healthy, Safe, Sustainable: Driving Scotland's Food Future 1 May 2021 Healthy, Safe, Sustainable: Driving Scotland’s Food Future Food Standards Scotland Strategy for 2021–2026 3 Foreword from Chair of Food Standards Scotland I am delighted to introduce the new strategic direction Ross Finnie for Food Standards Scotland (FSS) for the next five Chairman years - 2021-26. This Strategy acknowledges how the food environment, consumer interests and FSS’s responsibilities have changed since we were established as Scotland’s public sector food body in 2015. FSS’s focus is the interests of consumers in relation to by FSS and across Government, there continues to be food and animal feed, and we work independently unacceptably high levels of overweight and obesity of both industry and the Scottish Government, being in Scotland. Two out of three Scots remain either accountable to the people of Scotland through the overweight or obese, and we continue to buy too much Scottish Parliament. Our key priorities are public health discretionary food and drinks which tend to be both and consumer protection; taking action to address heavily promoted and less healthy. While the association preventable foodborne illnesses and providing advice between poor diet and health outcomes such as heart which promotes a healthy diet. FSS’s work also plays disease, type 2 diabetes and certain cancers has been an important role in helping Scotland become a established for some time, the COVID-19 pandemic has more successful nation, by sustaining its reputation brought into focus the adverse health consequences for food and drink in which consumers and export that can ensue for those who are over-weight and markets have confidence in the regulatory assurance obese. It is therefore more important than ever that we provided on food and feed safety and authenticity. place this issue at the forefront of our new Strategy. Throughout our first 5 years we made great progress: Another important aspect of our new strategy is strengthening the systems required to protect the to take account of growing consumer interest in food and animal feed chain; helping to improve sustainability. Environmental policies and concerns the Scottish diet and developing the evidence over the impacts of food production on the environment base and capabilities needed to support the food and food availability are intrinsically linked to food interests of Scotland for the future. During this time the safety, diet and health inequalities. This Strategy, organisation also had to deal with major upheaval therefore, places greater emphasis on these and uncertainty both before and after EU Exit. considerations and provides an opportunity for FSS to contribute to wider Scottish Government priorities This new Strategy aims to build on our achievements, for a sustainable food and drink industry and its while also recognising the need to adapt and respond commitments regarding climate change adaptation. to new challenges-particularly those resulting from EU Exit, COVID-19 and climate change. Our Mission Given the multi-faceted nature of the issues and Statement is to be: Scotland’s leading authority on food challenges we face, it is clear that FSS must continue safety, standards and healthy eating; using data and to forge and maintain effective partnerships at evidence to provide assurance and advice that inspires governmental level. Scottish Government, local consumer confidence and improves public health. This authorities, Public Health Scotland and the Food is supported by a refreshed set of values and guiding Standards Agency, will all be key partners that we will principles which will help us to achieve our strategic continue to work with to deliver our new Strategy . outcomes, through the delivery of six new goals. I look forward to working with my fellow Board members; A key priority for our Strategy is to strengthen our the staff; stakeholders; and consumers over the life of this influence over policies to improve Scotland’s diet-which Strategy to achieve our vision for a safe, healthy and is undoubtedly one of the nation’s most significant sustainable food environment that benefits and protects public health challenges. Despite considerable efforts the health and well-being of everyone in Scotland. Food Standards Scotland Strategy for 2021–2026 2 Table of Contents 1. Our Role and Vision as Scotland’s food body 3 2. A New Strategy: Delivering our ambition for the future 5 3. How we will deliver: Our values and guiding principles 7 4. Adapting to a changing food environment 9 5. What we will deliver: Using data and evidence to address the challenges 10 6. Our partnerships: Working together to achieve shared goals 18 7. Understanding the risks 20 8. FSS strategy for 2021–2026: Our goals for the next five years 21 9. Maintaining organisational excellence 25 We’re the public sector food body for Scotland. Our remit covers all aspects of the food chain in Scotland that can impact public health. We’re here to protect consumers in Scotland from food safety risks and promote healthy eating. 3 1. Our Role and Vision as Scotland’s food body We work across the entire food chain to the food we eat from land to sea Food Standards Scotland was established on 1st adapt and respond to a changing food environment April 2015 as the new public sector food body and the diverse interests of our stakeholders and for Scotland, to protect the health and wellbeing consumers, taking account of growing concerns of consumers through three objectives set under around sustainability and climate change. the Food (Scotland) Act 2015. FSS has a unique It also seeks to place a renewed emphasis on our role in government, working independently of ambition to improve the diet; helping to reduce Ministers and industry, to provide advice which is levels of overweight and obesity in Scotland and the impartial, and based on robust science and data. burden of diet related disease that inhibits the nation’s Our remit covers all aspects of the food wellbeing and prosperity. While this is a long-standing chain which can impact on public health and complex public health challenge, the COVID-19 – aiming to protect consumers from food pandemic has brought the harmful impacts of excess safety risks and promote healthy eating. body weight into sharper focus, highlighting the need for us to act urgently to improve Scotland’s diet. Our first Strategic Plan, published in 2016, was titled ‘Shaping Scotland’s Food Future’, and set out We cannot do this alone and must work with others that how we would deliver our statutory functions as have statutory duties to improve public health and diet. the new food body for Scotland. During our first FSS will continue to put evidence first, acquiring data five years, we delivered an extensive programme on what we eat and the risks to our food chain, as of work to strengthen the systems which are well as the social, ethical and environmental factors in place to protect the food and animal feed that influence the way it is produced, supplied chain, improve the Scottish diet and develop the and consumed. This will ensure we remain trusted evidence base and capabilities needed to support and influential – providing advice which makes the food interests of Scotland into the future. a difference, and supports improvements in the This new strategy aims to build on the progress we health and wellbeing of the people of Scotland have made, recognising the need for us to be able to as our food environment continues to change. Our vision A safe, healthy and sustainable food environment that benefits and protects the health and well-being of everyone in Scotland. Food Standards Scotland Strategy for 2021–2026 4 Our Mission To be Scotland’s leading authority on food safety, standards and healthy eating; using data and evidence to provide assurance and advice that inspires consumer confidence and improves public health. FSS’s key aims and statutory objectives are described in the diagram below, and these will continue to underpin all of the work we will do as we take forward our new strategy for 2021–26. Our Aims Safe and Healthy Informed Authentic food Diets Consumers Our Statutory Objectives* To protect the public from To improve the extent To protect the other risks to health which may to which members of the interests of consumers arise in connection with the public have diets which are in relation to food consumption of food conducive to good health • Develop policy on food safety • Monitor the diet and food • Help consumers in Scotland and standards purchases of Scotland’s to make informed choices • Advise Government on risks population about what they buy to the food chain and support • Provide expert, evidence- • Ensure that food is labelled Ministers in safeguarding based advice on how to and described accurately public health achieve a healthier diet • Engage with stakeholders • Work with Local Authorities • Measure the impact and the public to understand and the industry to ensure of policy against the the wider cultural, political food and feed law is Scottish dietary goals and environmental issues implemented effectively • Work in partnership to drive that influence their interests • Take action against food policy aimed at improving and concerns about the crime; working with the Scottish diet and our food food chain enforcement partners to environment; helping people prevent criminal activity to achieve a healthy weight across the food and animal and reducing the burden of feed chain diet-related disease *FSS’s Statutory objectives are defined in the Food (Scotland) Act 2015 5 2. A New Strategy: Delivering our ambition for the future Our ambition is to build on the achievements of our first five years, aligning all of our work to a set of core values and guiding principles that will Values help us to deliver the five key outcomes which underpin our vision and contribute to the Scottish Government’s National Outcomes.
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