Background
Food Standards Scotland funds an annual food sampling programme delivered by Scottish local authorities (LAs) and Public Analyst laboratories.
From 1 July 2023 to 30 June 2024, the programme targeted food types selected through horizon scanning of emerging risks in the global supply chain and reports from local authorities.
The findings help provide assurance that food in Scotland is safe and authentic, and identify areas where further action may be needed.
£200,000 was spent on the programme, which collected samples from retailers, caterers, manufacturers and processors.
16 different food types were tested and a total of 1,215 samples were analysed by the four Public Analyst laboratories in Scotland.