Food Standards Scotland has made the welcome announcement that it will establish a Scottish Food Crime and Incident Unit.

It is claimed that the new body will have the sole aim of tackling food-related fraud – in many ways a response to the 2013 scandal involving foods contaminated with horse meat – but it is also hoped that the unit will help reduce the numbers of food-related consumer injury claims made in Scotland.

Forming a large part of the drive to reduce fraud and possible consumer injury claims will be the unit's focus on better communication between the various regulatory bodies in Scotland as well as Police Scotland and the Food Standards Agency.

"Information sharing remains critical to unearthing and dealing with food fraud," commented the chair of Food Standards Scotland.

Richard Lochhead, Scotland's Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs, Food and the Environment, expressed his hope that the new unit would make it clear to food fraudsters that Scotland would be taking a zero-tolerance approach to food crime in the country.

The reaction from consumers and consumer injury claim lawyers to the news has been largely positive.

Anyone affected by contaminated food stuffs or any other product that causes injury can find out more information about making a consumer injury claim with Thompsons personal injury solicitors.