Less than half (45%) of people in Scotland consider food hygiene when they’re cooking at home and on average, we are undertaking just over half of the recommended** food safety practices.

In addition, 61% of people in Scotland know we need to do something to eat more healthily and 79% of us know that in Scotland, we have to make significant changes to what we eat to be more healthy.

FSS is attending the festival for the first time with an interactive stand designed to engage, inform and capture the imagination of people of all ages.

Visitors can take the Calorie Countdown challenge, and get on a bike to find out just how long it takes to work off the calories in a jelly baby. They can learn about how much sugar there is in everyday foods. Intrepid sleuths can also uncover bacteria with UV light to find out more about the most common causes of food poisoning, including how best to avoid cross-contamination when preparing food and some helpful handwashing tips in the kitchen zone.

Hosted in The Experimentarium, the festival’s brand new interactive space at Summerhall, a team from FSS will be on hand to guide visitors through food safety and nutrition topics.

Professor Norval Strachan, Chief Scientific Adviser at FSS, said: “This is the first year Food Standards Scotland has attended the Edinburgh International Science Festival. We’re looking forward to a busy week and welcoming lots of visitors of all ages to our stand.

“We believe education and engaging with people is key in supporting public health and our team will be showing budding young scientists and their families how to avoid food poisoning, and how best to enjoy a healthy balanced diet.”

The Food Discovery Zone at The Experimentarium is open at Summerhall from 11am until 4pm today (10 April) until Friday 14 April.