Coleraine
Monday 2 December 2002
5 - 7 February 2002
The audit revealed a proactive approach to the enforcement of Hazard Analysis in local businesses.
This approach had been adopted by the Council following 2 local outbreaks of food poisoning. Investigation of these had revealed the lack of hazard analysis systems to be a significant contributory factor to their cause.
To support the initiative the Council had dedicated considerable resource to actively targeting businesses with hazard analysis advice and carried out a significant amount of food hygiene training at all levels including courses for the Chinese catering sector.
Work in relation to reactive investigations was carried out thoroughly and competently.
Shortcomings were found in the frequency at which inspections were being carried out, the drafting and service of improvement notices and the software available to generate statistical reports required by the Agency.
There was little evidence available on premises files to demonstrate that the Council was carrying out food standards inspections of some categories of premises effectively. It needed to complete the drawing up of a comprehensive set of procedures to ensure compliance with the standard.
The authority's strengths
Advice to Businesses - The Council was active in offering advice to business in the distribution of information and the provision of a wide range of hygiene training including courses run in Cantonese for the Chinese catering sector. Considerable resource had been put into assisting businesses with the implementation of hazard analysis using a centrally developed training pack.
Investigative Work - The Council was carrying out thorough and competent investigations of food complaints, unsatisfactory food sample results, food hazard warnings and food related infectious disease outbreaks.
Third Party Review - A recent third party review had identified many of the points raised in this report, which the Council are beginning to address. This confirms the usefulness of such a review as a tool in improving the food enforcement service provided by Councils.
Key areas for improvement
Inspection Frequencies – The Council was not carrying out its programmed food hygiene inspections at a frequency in accordance with Food Safety Order Code of Practice No. 8: Food Hygiene Inspections. Inspections carried out at the minimum frequency detailed in the Food Safety Order Code of Practice, help to ensure that risks associated with the operation of a food business are identified in a timely manner.
It was noted however that extra inspections carried out as part of the Hazard Analysis support programme mentioned earlier had not been recorded as programmed inspections.
Food Standards Inspection Records – Where food hygiene and food standards inspections had been combined, file records were insufficient to make an assessment of the inspection activity undertaken and to determine that appropriate action had been taken in respect of any non-compliance found.
Adequate file records are essential in demonstrating the thoroughness of inspections and in providing historical information for different officers inspecting premises.
Documented Policies and Procedures – The Council did not have all the appropriate procedures required by the standard as set out elsewhere in this report. In addition it did not have a procedure for ensuring that those documented policies and procedures it had in place were reviewed.
Comprehensive and up to date documented policies and procedures will assist in allowing the Council to monitor enforcement activities to defined standards and help ensure appropriate consistent and effective enforcement.
Improvement Notices – There were deficiencies in the Council’s drafting and processing of improvement notices, highlighting a need for additional staff training in this area and an increased level of internal monitoring.
In order to be effective, the Council should ensure that improvement notices as an important enforcement tool, are used in accordance with relevant legislation and Food Safety Order Codes of Practice.
Database – While the Council had a database of it’s food premises, at the time of audit the software programme in use was not capable of providing the Food Standards Agency with information required for its monitoring returns.
Such information is vital to Central Government in order to allow effective monitoring of a Council’s performance and provide informed guidance for the formulation of future policy in relation to food enforcement.
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