Aberdeenshire (Core Audit)

Aberdeenshire Council is a Scottish Unitary Local Authority and therefore has responsibility for enforcing food hygiene, food standards and feeding stuffs law within the Aberdeenshire area.

According to the 2006–2007 Food Service Plan approximately 2,350 businesses in the Authority’s area are subject to food law official controls. There are also six approved and 879 registered establishments under feeding stuffs legislation.

The Authority has a Food Service Plan covering food hygiene, food standards and feeding stuffs official controls that meets the requirements of the Service Planning Guidance in the Framework Agreement.

An annual review based on the 2005–2006 Service Plan has been carried out, and both the 2006–2007 Service Plan and the performance review have been reported to, and approved by, the appropriate Member forum.

The Authority has appointed authorised officers and inspectors to carry out official controls under food and feeding stuffs law, and qualification and training records for food law enforcement officers demonstrate that officers are appropriately qualified and receiving continuing development training in accordance with the Food Law Code of Practice.

Some food hygiene and food standards inspections are not being conducted at the minimum frequencies required by the Food Law Code of Practice, and some records relating official controls under Regulation EC No. 853/2004 are not sufficiently detailed to determine whether approvals, inspections and audits have assessed compliance with all aspects of relevant legislation.

Sampling policies, procedures and programmes for food and feeding stuffs have been developed and are being implemented, and adverse food and feeding stuffs sample results are being followed-up appropriately.

Officers use a range of informal and formal options to secure compliance, including letters, voluntary surrenders of food for destruction, hygiene improvement notices, and reports to the Procurator Fiscal.

In some cases relating to the drafting and service of hygiene improvement notices and the voluntary surrender of food for destruction, the Authority is not following the Food Law Code of Practice and centrally issued guidance.

Service performance is being monitored in accordance with required standards, although the Authority is not acting corporately to address non-conformities that are being identified.

Following the Agency’s audit in date Council developed an action plan to address the non-conformities raised.

The Agency notes the progress that has already been made with implementation of the action plan.

The information in the report details the following:

• the original non conformity identified during the date audit
• the action the Authority intended to take to address the non conformity
• the date by which the non conformity was to be rectified
• the progress to date as notified by the Authority in date
• the comments of the Agency Auditors following their follow up audit on date

The actions taken to address the action plan have been noted. Procedures have been reviewed and improved however, in some cases file records do not fully meet the requirements of the Food Law Code of Practice in that some records are incomplete or missing.