Four new board members in place at Food Standards Scotland

Food Standards Scotland has welcomed four new board members who will help drive the organisation’s work in protecting consumers from food safety risks and promoting healthy eating.

The new Board members, Mrs Christina Bichan, Dr Paula Charlesworth, Mr Phillip Couser and Miss Kate Richards, will all serve for four years.

Mr Couser took up the role on November 14 2022, while Mrs Bichan, Dr Charlesworth and Miss Richards began their appointments in April 2023.

Miss Richards, who was a farm vet in Aberdeenshire, said regarding her appointment:

“My interest in public health has been woven through my career as a farm animal vet involved with food production and food hygiene. I have also worked in industry and government in policy and regulatory roles and this mix of experiences drew me to the FSS Board. FSS’s vision of a safe, healthy and sustainable food environment that benefits and protects the health and wellbeing of everyone in Scotland resonates very strongly with my values and beliefs.”

At the April Board meeting, Alban Denton, who has been involved in many of Scotland’s food businesses over the past 30 years, was appointed as Deputy Chair for a two-year term.

Heather Kelman, Chair of the FSS Board, commented: “I am extremely pleased with the quality of candidates who put themselves forward during the recruitment process and believe we have found excellent new Board members, who will really help to shape the work we are involved in going forward.

“The four new members will bring a range of perspectives to the organisation, complementing the skills and experience of the existing Board members and hopefully filling some of the gaps we shall experience when our three founding Board members step down.

“This is an extremely important time for our organisation, as Scotland continues to feel the impacts 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. Our new appointments’ breadth of expertise will help ensure that we continue to protect Scottish consumers and promote healthy eating during these challenging times.”