Organisations that protect the interests of consumers Food Standards Agency Environmental Health Department Trading Standards Citizens Advice Bureau Advertising Standards Authority Which? Consumers Association

Food Standards Agency The Food Standards Agency (FSA) is an independent government department responsible for food safety and hygiene across the UK. Within Scotland their job is to improve food safety and standards in Scotland and the health of Scotland’s population in relation to food.

They protect the interests of consumers by: Providing information and advice to consumers to help them make healthier food choices. Undertaking sampling and testing of food products to check that the contents match what is stated on the label. Issue withdrawls or recall notices if allergy labelling is incorrect and there is a risk of a consumer eating a product which could cause an allergic reaction.

Assess and review food additives to ensure that they are safe to be in foods, and will take legal action when problems are found. In partnership with local authorities, they are responsible for administering the Food Hygiene Information Scheme, which helps consumers to choose where to eat out or shop for food by giving them information about hygiene standards in restaurants, cafes, takeaways, hotels and food shops.

Environmental Health Department Every Local Authority has an Environmental Health Department (EHD) that enforces food safety legislation. Environmental Health (or Enforcement) Officers are involved with inspection, education that provides advice and guidance to businesses and consumers, as well as enforcement of consumer legislation, specifically laws relating to food hygiene and safety.

They protect the interests of consumers by: Undertaking a programme of inspections, where they go into local food businesses to check that they are following the standards laid down by the Food Safety Act 1990. Investigating complaints about food, including complaints about the hygiene of premises. Following a programme of regularly sampling food, in particular locally produced food, to ensure it’s safe for consumption.

Investigating reported cases of food poisoning. Seizing unsafe or dangerous goods. Serving improvement notices to food premises that are not complying with food hygiene regulations. In extreme cases, they can request the premises be closed immediately if there is a threat to public health.

Trading Standards Trading Standards in Scotland are part of Local Authorities, and they aim to ensure fair trading to protect consumers and businesses from unfair and unsafe trading practices. They also enforce consumer protection laws.

They protect the interests of consumers by: Undertaking random checks to make sure that shops are not selling cigarettes/alcohol/DVDs/fireworks to minors (anyone under age). Enforcing the Weights and Measures Act 1985 by checking to make sure bars and pubs do not serve short measures of alcohol, or that supermarket deli counter’s weighing scales are accurate so that customers get the exact amount they are paying for.

Regularly visiting markets to check that goods being sold are not fake Regularly visiting markets to check that goods being sold are not fake. They have the power to seize the goods and take legal action against the trader selling the counterfeit goods. Making sure that a trader does not falsely describe goods they are selling. For example, if a market trader has a sign saying ‘organic potatoes for sale’, they have to prove that these have indeed been produced organically.

Citizens Advice Bureaux Citizens Advice Bureaux (CAB) provide advice and information to people in need in over 250 countries. The aims of the Scottish CAB Service are to ensure that individuals do not suffer through lack of knowledge of their rights and responsibilities, or of the services available to them, or through an inability to express their need effectively.

They protect the interests of consumers by: Providing free, independent and confidential advice on a wide range of consumer issues, including debt, health, housing and consumer issues. Aiming to answer questions about benefit entitlements, support benefit applications and help with appeals against unfair decisions. Providing debt and money advice and working with people in debt to put a repayment plan in place.

Providing help with work related problems, e. g Providing help with work related problems, e.g. questions about terms and conditions or support with redundancy/ dismissal. Providing support with consumer issues, e.g. Help to deal with problems with internet service providers or how to complain about faulty goods.

Advertising Standards Authority Since 1961, the aim of the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) has been to protect consumers and to promote responsible advertising. It’s job is to regulate UK advertisements to ensure that they are truthful and socially responsible.

They protect the interests of consumers by: Ensuring all advertisers in the UK follow the Advertising Codes, which ensures that ads targeted at children do not contain any content that will cause them harm. Assessing, against an EU Register of approved health claims, adverts for food and drink products that make health claims. If these don’t appear in the Register, the ads will not be approved, thus protecting the consumer from misleading claims.

Ensuring no advertisements for foods that are high in fat/salt/sugar are allowed to appear on dedicated children’s TV channels. Acting upon consumer complaints made regarding advertisements that members of the public feel are misleading or offensive.

Which? Consumers’ Association The Consumers’ Association trades under the name ‘Which?’. It is a non-profit organisation. Members pay to subscribe to a monthly magazine and a range of services. The money that members pay is used to fund testing of products and to pay for campaigners that supports consumers’ rights. You are not able to get help with an individual complaint from the Consumers’ Association unless you are a member/ subscribe.

They protect the interests of consumers by: Campaigning to get fairer deals for all consumers. Undertaking research and publishing expert, unbiased reports that consumers can use to make informed choices when buying goods and services. Which? Local gives consumers the option of recommending local traders in their own area.

Awarding BEST BUY ratings to products if they perform consistently well in laboratory tests, and has DON’T BUY ratings to products that have performed particularly poorly in Which? Tests.