We are defined in law as a ‘competent authority’ and an ‘enforcement authority’ to implement and monitor Scottish and EU food and feed regulations, and our purpose is defined in the Food (Scotland) Act 2015.
Food Standards Scotland will:
- help protect the public from risks to health which may arise through the consumption of food
- advise on how what we eat will promote good health
To deliver this, we have the following specific functions:
- develop and help others develop policies on food and animal feed
- advise the Scottish Government, other authorities and the public on food and animal feed
- keep the Scottish public and users of animal feed advised to help them make informed decisions about food and feed stuffs
- monitor the performance of food enforcement authorities
We ensure that Scottish Ministers’ policy is fed into European Union policy making on the regulation of food and animal feed.
To find out more, you can read 'Shaping Scotland's Food Future, Our Strategy to 2021'.
Shaping Scotland’s Food Future: Our strategy to 2021
This strategy sets out Food Standard Scotland’s (FSS’s) high-level strategic direction for the next five years, and our first Corporate Plan describes our priorities and what we will be able to do between 2016-2021
Consultations
We regularly consult with stakeholders and consumers to develop policy that will ensure food and feed in Scotland continues to be safe, and help consumers make informed decisions about the food they eat.