New food crime unit to crack down on fraud

A Scottish government food crime unit has been set up to crack down on food fraud.

The unit was established by Food Standards Scotland (FSS), the new regulatory body meant to ensure the safety of food in Scotland, and will work with the police and local authorities as well as the food industry to tackle fraud and breach of food safety rules.

Geoff Ogle, FSS chief executive said: “The unit is a vital and positive step in improving Scotland’s capability and capacity to tackle food crime.”

“Our primary concern is consumer protection, making sure food is safe to eat and ensuring consumers know what they are eating.”

The creation of the unit was recommended by an expert study group established in the wake of a 2013 scandal which saw horsemeat being sold as beef.

Local authorities will keep primary responsibility for dealing with food fraud but the new unit will have the power to take enforcement action where it is necessary.

Where serious crime is uncovered investigations will be referred to Police Scotland.

Mr Ogle called on whistleblowers to report any suspicions they have.

He said: “If we are to be successful in stamping out crime, such as sheep rustling, the whole industry must contribute and provide us with information.

“The information we get from the industry at present is fairly limited and farmers, hauliers and lorry drivers all have information which could be useful to us in identifying crime.”

He added: “When sheep are stolen, more meat will come on the market, perhaps at less than market value, which must be suspect.

“There is usually no golden bullet . It is the accumulation of evidence from different sources through collaboration which enables us to get a conviction.”

FSS took control over food safety in Scotland from the Foods Standards Agency on April 1.

It has a budget of £15.7 million and is chaired by Ross Finnie, former Scottish agriculture minister.