FSA auditors on road to enforcement

The Food Standards Agency is to send out teams of auditors from April to monitor how well local authorities enforce food safety regulations. It is also considering calls to name and shame restaurants successfully prosecuted for food hygiene breaches.

The FSA found last year that inspection rates were falling while numbers of offences were rising. Last month, it criticised the inspection records of 18 councils in its first study of enforcement levels (Caterer, 21 December, page 4).

Monitoring will be separately administered in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.

FSA Scotland is contracting out its audit work. The two auditors will be expected to monitor Scotland's 42 authorities within three years and will report to a board, including consumers and enforcers, set up jointly by the FSA and the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities.

Jim Thomson, assistant director for FSA Scotland, said that councils could submit plans for improvements, where needed, before publication. In extreme cases, the FSA had reserve powers to take over a council's food safety activities.

Source: Caterer & Hotelkeeper magazine, 11-17 January 2001