diff --git a/grails-app/services/au/org/ala/merit/EmailService.groovy b/grails-app/services/au/org/ala/merit/EmailService.groovy
index 768902800..bbd84ed04 100644
--- a/grails-app/services/au/org/ala/merit/EmailService.groovy
+++ b/grails-app/services/au/org/ala/merit/EmailService.groovy
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 package au.org.ala.merit
 
 import au.org.ala.merit.config.EmailTemplate
+import au.org.ala.merit.util.MarkdownUtils
 import groovy.util.logging.Slf4j
 
 
@@ -17,7 +18,8 @@ class EmailService {
         def systemEmailAddress = grailsApplication.config.getProperty('fieldcapture.system.email.address')
         try {
             def subjectLine = settingService.getSettingText(mailSubjectTemplate, model)
-            def body = settingService.getSettingText(mailTemplate, model).markdownToHtml()
+            String bodyMarkdown = settingService.getSettingText(mailTemplate, model)
+            String body = MarkdownUtils.markdownToHtmlAndSanitise(bodyMarkdown)
 
             log.info("Sending email: ${subjectLine} to: ${recipient}, from: ${sender}, cc:${ccList}, body: ${body}")
             // This is to prevent spamming real users while testing.
diff --git a/grails-app/taglib/au/org/ala/merit/FCTagLib.groovy b/grails-app/taglib/au/org/ala/merit/FCTagLib.groovy
index 24f532e92..f6ba9bb3c 100644
--- a/grails-app/taglib/au/org/ala/merit/FCTagLib.groovy
+++ b/grails-app/taglib/au/org/ala/merit/FCTagLib.groovy
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ package au.org.ala.merit
 
 import au.org.ala.cas.util.AuthenticationCookieUtils
 import au.org.ala.merit.config.ProgramConfig
+import au.org.ala.merit.util.MarkdownUtils
 import au.org.ala.web.AuthService
 import bootstrap.Attribute
 import grails.converters.JSON
@@ -11,12 +12,6 @@ import groovy.xml.MarkupBuilder
 import org.apache.commons.lang.WordUtils
 import org.grails.web.json.JSONArray
 import org.grails.web.json.JSONObject
-import org.owasp.html.HtmlChangeListener
-import org.owasp.html.HtmlPolicyBuilder
-import org.owasp.html.PolicyFactory
-import org.owasp.html.Sanitizers
-import org.commonmark.parser.Parser
-import org.commonmark.renderer.html.HtmlRenderer
 
 @Slf4j
 class FCTagLib {
@@ -27,10 +22,6 @@ class FCTagLib {
     def userService
     def settingService
     AuthService authService
-    MetadataService metadataService
-
-    /** Allow simple formatting, links and text within p and divs by default */
-    def policy = (Sanitizers.FORMATTING & Sanitizers.LINKS & Sanitizers.BLOCKS) & new HtmlPolicyBuilder().allowTextIn("p", "div").toFactory()
 
     def textField = { attrs ->
         def outerClass = attrs.remove 'outerClass'
@@ -1170,27 +1161,11 @@ class FCTagLib {
     def markdownToHtml = { Map attrs, body ->
         String text = attrs.text ?: body()
 
-        out << markdownToHtmlAndSanitise(text)
+        out << MarkdownUtils.markdownToHtmlAndSanitise(text)
     }
 
     private String markdownToHtmlAndSanitise(String text) {
-        Parser parser = Parser.builder().build()
-        org.commonmark.node.Node document = parser.parse(text)
-        HtmlRenderer renderer = HtmlRenderer.builder().build()
-        String html = renderer.render(document)
-
-        internalSanitise(policy, html)
-    }
-
-    private static String internalSanitise(PolicyFactory policyFactory, String input, String imageId = '', String metadataName = '') {
-        policyFactory.sanitize(input, new HtmlChangeListener<Object>() {
-            void discardedTag(Object context, String elementName) {
-                log.warn("Dropping element $elementName in $imageId.$metadataName")
-            }
-            void discardedAttributes(Object context, String tagName, String... attributeNames) {
-                log.warn("Dropping attributes $attributeNames from $tagName in $imageId.$metadataName")
-            }
-        }, null)
+       MarkdownUtils.markdownToHtmlAndSanitise(text)
     }
 
     private static String getScoreLabels(def scoreIds, ProgramConfig config, Boolean includeService) {
diff --git a/src/main/groovy/au/org/ala/merit/util/MarkdownUtils.groovy b/src/main/groovy/au/org/ala/merit/util/MarkdownUtils.groovy
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..948c670dc
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/main/groovy/au/org/ala/merit/util/MarkdownUtils.groovy
@@ -0,0 +1,39 @@
+package au.org.ala.merit.util
+
+import groovy.transform.CompileStatic
+import groovy.util.logging.Slf4j
+import org.commonmark.parser.Parser
+import org.commonmark.renderer.html.HtmlRenderer
+import org.owasp.html.HtmlChangeListener
+import org.owasp.html.HtmlPolicyBuilder
+import org.owasp.html.PolicyFactory
+import org.owasp.html.Sanitizers
+
+@CompileStatic
+@Slf4j
+class MarkdownUtils {
+
+    /** Allow simple formatting, links and text within p and divs by default */
+    static PolicyFactory policy = (Sanitizers.FORMATTING & Sanitizers.LINKS & Sanitizers.BLOCKS) & new HtmlPolicyBuilder().allowTextIn("p", "div").toFactory()
+
+    static String markdownToHtmlAndSanitise(String text) {
+        Parser parser = Parser.builder().build()
+        org.commonmark.node.Node document = parser.parse(text)
+        HtmlRenderer renderer = HtmlRenderer.builder().build()
+        String html = renderer.render(document)
+
+        internalSanitise(policy, html)
+    }
+
+    private static String internalSanitise(PolicyFactory policyFactory, String input, String imageId = '', String metadataName = '') {
+        policyFactory.sanitize(input, new HtmlChangeListener<Object>() {
+            void discardedTag(Object context, String elementName) {
+                log.warn("Dropping element $elementName in $imageId.$metadataName")
+            }
+            void discardedAttributes(Object context, String tagName, String... attributeNames) {
+                log.warn("Dropping attributes $attributeNames from $tagName in $imageId.$metadataName")
+            }
+        }, null)
+    }
+
+}
diff --git a/src/test/groovy/au/org/ala/merit/EmailServiceSpec.groovy b/src/test/groovy/au/org/ala/merit/EmailServiceSpec.groovy
index d9de73d58..29b82c185 100644
--- a/src/test/groovy/au/org/ala/merit/EmailServiceSpec.groovy
+++ b/src/test/groovy/au/org/ala/merit/EmailServiceSpec.groovy
@@ -54,7 +54,6 @@ class EmailServiceSpec extends Specification implements AutowiredTest{
         List usersAndRoles = [admin1, grantManager1, editor]
         EmailTemplate emailTemplate = EmailTemplate.DEFAULT_PLAN_SUBMITTED_EMAIL_TEMPLATE
         String body = "body"
-        body.metaClass.markdownToHtml = { "Body" }
         EmailParams email
 
         when:
@@ -69,7 +68,7 @@ class EmailServiceSpec extends Specification implements AutowiredTest{
         email.params.from == "merit@ala.org.au"
         email.params.replyTo == "merituser1@test.com"
         email.params.subject == "Subject"
-        email.params.html == "Body"
+        email.params.html == "<p>body</p>\n"
     }
 
 
@@ -88,7 +87,6 @@ class EmailServiceSpec extends Specification implements AutowiredTest{
         List usersAndRoles = [admin1, admin2, editor]
         EmailTemplate emailTemplate = EmailTemplate.DEFAULT_PLAN_APPROVED_EMAIL_TEMPLATE
         String body = "body"
-        body.metaClass.markdownToHtml = { "Body" }
         EmailParams email
 
         when:
@@ -102,7 +100,7 @@ class EmailServiceSpec extends Specification implements AutowiredTest{
         email.params.from == "merit@ala.org.au"
         email.params.replyTo == "merituser1@test.com"
         email.params.subject == "Subject"
-        email.params.html == "Body"
+        email.params.html == "<p>body</p>\n"
 
     }
 
diff --git a/src/test/groovy/au/org/ala/merit/util/MarkdownUtilsSpec.groovy b/src/test/groovy/au/org/ala/merit/util/MarkdownUtilsSpec.groovy
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..5f53efa3f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/test/groovy/au/org/ala/merit/util/MarkdownUtilsSpec.groovy
@@ -0,0 +1,50 @@
+package au.org.ala.merit.util
+
+import spock.lang.Specification
+
+class MarkdownUtilsSpec extends Specification {
+
+    def "markdownToHtmlAndSanitise should convert markdown to HTML and sanitize it"() {
+        given:
+        String markdown = "# Heading\n\nThis is a [link](http://example.com)."
+
+        when:
+        String result = MarkdownUtils.markdownToHtmlAndSanitise(markdown)
+
+        then:
+        result == "<h1>Heading</h1>\n<p>This is a <a href=\"http://example.com\" rel=\"nofollow\">link</a>.</p>\n"
+    }
+
+    def "markdownToHtmlAndSanitise should remove disallowed tags"() {
+        given:
+        String markdown = "<script>alert('XSS');</script>"
+
+        when:
+        String result = MarkdownUtils.markdownToHtmlAndSanitise(markdown)
+
+        then:
+        result == "\n"
+    }
+
+    def "markdownToHtmlAndSanitise should allow simple formatting"() {
+        given:
+        String markdown = "**bold** *italic*"
+
+        when:
+        String result = MarkdownUtils.markdownToHtmlAndSanitise(markdown)
+
+        then:
+        result == "<p><strong>bold</strong> <em>italic</em></p>\n"
+    }
+
+    def "markdownToHtmlAndSanitise should allow text within p and div tags"() {
+        given:
+        String markdown = "<p>Paragraph</p><div>Division</div>"
+
+        when:
+        String result = MarkdownUtils.markdownToHtmlAndSanitise(markdown)
+
+        then:
+        result == "<p>Paragraph</p><div>Division</div>\n"
+    }
+}
\ No newline at end of file