Food fun for all at Royal Highland Show

The Food Standards Agency in Scotland is celebrating it's 10 year anniversary, and to mark this occasion Shona Robison, Minister for Public Health and Sport, will launch the Agency's new interactive exhibition stand and kitchen cookery demonstration set, at 15:45 pm on Thursday 24 June.

Consumers are invited to come along and have fun at the Food Standards Agency’s new modern interactive stand. There will be an opportunity for children and adults to test their knowledge on a variety of touchscreen interactive games aimed at helping children and families make safe and healthier choices, as well as taking the hand wash challenge, which allows visitors to test their hand-washing technique under an ultraviolet light to check where bugs might lurk unseen.

Crowds will also gather four times a day to watch guest Scottish Chefs Siobhan Ingram and Robert Tiffin demonstrate delicious seasonal menus such as, 'Taste of Scotland', 'Summer al Fresco', 'Summer Barbecue' and 'The Seaside'.

Shona Robison said: 'I am delighted to open the Food Standards Agency in Scotland stand. With chefs cooking up delicious seasonal menus and fun interactive games, visitors to The Royal Highland Show are in for a treat.

'The Scottish Government are committed to increasing our awareness of healthier food. We want to ensure that it gets easier for everyone to make healthier choices and the Food Standards Agency in Scotland has a significant role in helping us to do that.'

Charles Milne, Director, Food Standards Agency, said: 'The Royal Highland Show is a flagship event for consumers and the food industry in Scotland. We are delighted to provide support to the Scottish Government and will continue to work in partnership to ensure consumers have as much clear and reliable information as possible in a format that is accessible, useful and appealing.

'It is important for us to engage directly with the public to discuss issues that matter to them, such as labelling, eating a healthy balanced diet, cooking nutritious food for themselves and preparing food safely.'

'The Show provides an excellent opportunity for the Agency to achieve this.'

• The launch will take place on the Food Standards Agency stand at 15:45 pm on Thursday the 24 June 2010.
• The Food Standards Agency stand is located in the Food Hall on Avenue LH – Stand no 0.
• Photographs of the launch can be supplied on the day via email.
• The Food Standards Agency in Scotland supports the Scottish Government’s Preventing Overweight and Obesity in Scotland (please see link below) and the Scottish Governments Recipe for Success – Scotland’s National Food and Drink Policy (please see link below).
• The Agency's eatwell website is a stand-alone consumer advice and information site covering nutrition, food, hygiene and food labelling issues. The Agency's main web-based source of food news and in-depth reports, guidance and scientific research can be found here.
• The FSA is an independent UK wide government department set up as a food safety watchdog to protect the public’s health and consumer interests in relation to food.