Food standards remained stable in 2022 despite pressures including inflation, labour shortages, and the war in Ukraine, according to a new report.
However, the ‘Our Food’ report from Food Standards Scotland (FSS) and the Food Standards Agency (FSA) identifies shortages in key occupations needed to keep food safe, such as vets and food inspectors.
Workforce data in the report shows a 14% decline in food hygiene posts in local authorities in England, Wales and Northern Ireland over the past decade, with over 13% of available posts vacant. In Scotland, the number of food law officers undertaking both food hygiene and food standards work has fallen by 25.5% compared to 2016/17.
FSS and the FSA are calling on government, local authorities, professional bodies, and industry to:
- Address the decline in local authority trading standards officers, environmental health and food safety officers to ensure food standards are maintained;
- Tackle the shortage of official veterinarians to protect animal health and welfare and trade and assure food hygiene standards;
- Share more and better-quality information across the food industry to help stop criminal gangs and tackle food crime that costs the UK up to £2bn per year; and
- Introduce import controls on food imported from the EU to help reduce the risk of unsafe food entering the UK from the EU.
Heather Kelman, Chair of Food Standards Scotland, said: “It is encouraging to see that in 2022, amid several significant challenges both here in the UK and further afield, the overall safety and standards of our food has been upheld to the very high standards which we expect.
“However, we must recognise the very significant challenges ahead and the potential problems that a lack of resourcing, specifically within environmental health officer and official veterinarian roles, may cause to the overall food system. It is now more important than ever for those who govern the system, as well as everyone involved in food production, retail and distribution, to work together to ensure food is safe and consumers and trade are protected.
“It is critical that, together, we do everything we can to ensure we have a modernised system of assurance to support businesses that provide safe food for everyone and that the UK’s high food standards are maintained, in spite of the cost and workforce pressures we continue to face.”
