Agenda item

The Director of Housing and Neighbourhood Services reported that the Authority had been the subject of a focussed audit by the Food Standards Agency on 18^th/19^th May, 2010.  The Agency carried out the audits to improve consumer protection and confidence in relation to food.

The audit assessed the local arrangements that were in place for officer authorisation and training, inspection of food businesses and internal monitoring.  Following the audit, the Agency produced a final report that made a number of recommendations:-

Recommendation 1

The Authority should ensure that future Food Service Plans were fully in line with the Service Planning Guidance in the Framework Agreement including a reasoned estimation of the staffing resources required to deliver all aspects of its food law enforcement service compared with the staffing resources available to the Authority.

It was found that the Authority had developed a Food Safety Service Plan for 2010/11 which was broadly in line with the Service Planning Guidance in the Framework Agreement.  Information would be included in the 2011/12 Plan.

Recommendation 2

The Authority should liaise with its Legal Department to ensure that all its officers were suitably authorised under all relevant Food Safety Legislation.  Officers’ levels of authorisation should be consistent with their qualifications, training and experience, in accordance with the Food Law Code of Practice and centrally issued guidance.

It acknowledged that the Authority had developed a system of identifying officer competency requirements and issuing legal authorisations.  A report updating the recent Legislation had been written and authorisations would be amended in accordance.

Recommendation 3

The Authority should ensure that food hygiene inspections of establishments in their area were undertaken at a frequency which was not less than that determined under the inspection risk rating system set out in the Food Law Code of Practice or other centrally issued guidance.

Resources would be directed towards those premises that presented the highest level of risk.  Staff had committed to delivering 100% of category A, B and C premises.

Recommendation 4

The Authority should further review and develop its inspection aides memoire for all types of food establishments in its area to prompt and require officers to record all relevant inspection findings including detailed assessments of establishments’ compliance with Legislation related to HACCP and FSMS.

A new aide memoire had been introduced for butchers’ premises using exemplar models.  Specific sector questionnaires were being developed incorporating information from the aides memoire for the lower rated category E premises.  The information recorded on the aides memoire by officers was being monitored.

Recommendation 5

The Authority should ensure that observations made and/or data obtained in the course of an inspection/intervention was recorded in such a way the records were retrievable.  Determination of legal compliance or any non-compliance should be recorded.

Currently officers recorded the risk rating electronically with the information observed during inspections kept on hard copy files.  This would be reviewed when the new Electronic Document Records Management System was installed.

Recommendation 6

The Authority should take appropriate action on any non-compliance found during interventions in accordance with the Authority’s Enforcement Policy, the Food Law Code of Practice and any centrally issued guidance.  All decisions on enforcement should be made following consideration of the Authority’s Enforcement Policy.  The reasons for any departure from the criteria set out in the Policy should be documented.

The General Enforcement Policy and the South Yorkshire Food Authorities Enforcement Protocol had been reinforced with staff.  Actions had been taken to reduce the delay in the issuing of letters following inspection visits.  Internal processes, where appropriate, would be streamlined to further reduce unnecessary delay with regard to enforcement action.

Recommendation 7

The Authority should implement its new internal monitoring procedures to include qualitative monitoring of all areas of food law enforcement activity and ensure that appropriate records were retained to verify conformance with the Standard and relevant Codes of Practice and centrally issued guidance.

Internal monitoring was being undertaken including verification that appropriate action was taken following an inspection/intervention.

It was noted that the Foods Standards Agency was expected to return in May, 2011, in order to assess progress against the action plan.

Resolved:-  (1)  That the findings of the Food Standards Agency audit, as detailed in the Final Audit Report attached as Appendix A, and the actions undertaken since the publication of the audit report and action plan, be noted.

(2)  That the action plan produced in response to the recommendations with respect to meeting the Standard in the Framework Agreement be approved.