Agenda item

This report updates Members on Food Safety and the work within the Food Safety Team and Trading Standards to help protect the public in Medway. 

Discussion:

The Committee received a report and presentation from the Food and Safety Team. The Head of Safer Communities drew attention to an error in the Committee report in that in paragraph 2.5, the date that data was published by the Food Standards Agency should read December 2013.

The Committee was informed that Medway Council was the responsible authority for the enforcement of food safety law within the majority of food premises in Medway and, as a unitary authority, also had responsibility for the enforcement of food standards and animal feed legislation.

Enforcement responsibilities were split between two teams within Commercial Services, with the Food and Safety Team being responsible for food hygiene and law enforcement and the Trading Standards Team being responsible for food standards and feed law enforcement. The Food Standards Agency (FSA) has overall responsibility to oversee this regulatory function.

The Committee was informed that the FSA annual report, relating to food hygiene inspections undertaken in 2012/13 had referred to the position Medway Council was in on 1 April 2013.  At that point, there had been 522 (21.6 %) unrated premises on the database.  On 1 April 2014, the number of unrated premises had reduced to 52 (2.5%) and at the end of July 2014, this figure has been further reduced to under 2%.

The Food and Safety Team inspected new food premises, and rated businesses according to risk, in accordance with the national Food Law Code of Practice. Inspection frequency was determined by this risk rating, with A being the highest risk (and most frequently inspected), and E being the lowest.  Inspection priorities were towards high-risk premises (A + B + non-compliant C) and all customer complaints were investigated, triggering inspections and/or revisits, as appropriate. Risk ratings were kept under review could go up or down as a result of intervention.

Since February 2013, Medway had participated in the Food Hygiene Rating Scheme (FHRS) run by the FSA.  This allowed Medway residents to make a judgment about using a particular premises based on its hygiene rating.

The Trading Standards Team undertook species testing (and wider analytical testing to determine compositional content). This work was undertaken both proactively e.g. Turkey Sampling at Christmas, reactively (responses to individual complaints) and through participation in national and regional intelligence focused sampling projects.

Following the presentation on food hygiene inspections in food businesses, officers answered Members’ questions as follows:

• It was confirmed that the Food and Safety Team worked closely with all food businesses in Medway and a number of other agencies (including local colleges and universities) in relation to sharing best practice, developing knowledge and improving standards for the public.
• Confirmation that owners of food establishments are not advised prior to food inspections taking place (unless appointments are necessary to facilitate access and/or the premises is a domestic house (whereby at least 24 hours notice must be given).
• The Council was bound by the Primary Authority principle, by which companies may enter into an agreement with a single local authority for food safety and/or other regulatory areas to aid a consistent approach to enforcement. Several multi-site companies had such agreements in place, in which case, the Council was obliged to discuss proposed enforcement action with the Primary Authority first (unless the risks were serious and immediate). The Primary Authority principle did not affect the frequency of inspection, but officers could be directed to look at particular areas or topics by the Primary Authority and feed back to them as appropriate.
• Confirmation that the Food and Safety Team worked closely with Trading Standards should there be issues of foods and in particular meat where the source is not traceable (i.e. bushmeat).
• The frequency of re-visits to food establishments would depend upon the level of risk from the hygiene contravention(s).
• Whilst Medway had featured as a low performing local authorities for food safety inspections in the Food Safety Standards Agency report for 2012/2013 and that this had subsequently been picked up by Which? and reported in an article on 21 January 2014, Medway was now featuring in the top quartile of local authorities. This has resulted in positive feedback from the Food Standards Agency.     

Decision: 

The Committee expressed their appreciation for the detailed presentation and report.