"THE HORSE meat scandal in 2013 brought home to everyone the importance of traceability of our food supplies and illustrated the importance of tackling food crime from farm to fork.

Information sharing remains critical to unearthing and dealing with food offences. The free Scottish Food Crime Hotline has been launched to give members of the public and industry a dedicated telephone line to report anonymously any suspicions of food crime.

The new number – 0800 028 7926 – is operational 24 hours a day, seven days a week. There is also an option to report concerns via an anonymous online form. 

FSS’s Scottish Food Crime and Incidents Unit – which was established in response to the 2013 report from the then Minister for Public Health following the horsemeat incident – will use the hotline to gather vital intelligence to target those involved in criminal activities, which costs the UK food and drink industry an estimated £1.2bn annually. 

Food crime is defined as any deliberate manipulation, substitution, mislabelling or instance of fraud in relation to food. Food crime is damaging for the public and the industry, eroding trust and value.

There are specific issues that affect the farming community – ranging from rustling and the illegal slaughter of animals, to more serious fraud involving the misrepresentation or substitution of genuine Scottish quality produce – that must be tackled and will require a multi-agency approach. The new partnership with Crimestoppers will offer consumers a trusted platform to report any concerns of wrongdoing in relation to food and drink.

Scotland’s farmers have a critical role to play, in delivering quality, responsibly-sourced produce that contributes to the nation’s economy and instils confidence in consumers.

I would particularly encourage the farming community to make use of the hotline or online reporting form to anonymously share any concerns and help us stamp out fraudulent practices and rogue operators.

Information provided will be used to help FSS and other enforcement agencies identify and where necessary, prosecute criminals who are defrauding and potentially endangering consumers.

Since it was formed in 2015, the quality and safety of our food is the overriding priority for FSS. The statutory objectives outlined in the Food (Scotland) Act 2015 put the public and the consumer at the heart of everything we do.

The free Scottish Food Crime Hotline is one of a number of steps FSS is taking to address the problem in Scotland. We believe that by raising awareness of the issue of food crime and giving consumers a trusted point of contact they will be able to report concerns in complete anonymity. 

The SFCIU is using improved intelligence, investigation resources and partnership working with the Police and other enforcement agencies. The intelligence we receive will be invaluable in advancing our work with Police Scotland and other agencies to hold to account those who put consumer safety at risk for financial gain.

We must all work together to tackle the scourge of criminal activity in the food supply chain."

For more information, visit this page or follow Ron McNaughton on Twitter: @RonMcSFCIU