Clackmannanshire Council (Core Audit) (Closed)

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

The Authority has a Service Plan covering the food hygiene and food standards law enforcement services although it does not meet the requirements of the Service Planning Guidance in the Framework Agreement.

The Authority has appointed authorised Officers and inspectors to enforce food and feeding stuffs law, and qualification and training records for food law enforcement Officers demonstrate that authorised Officers are appropriately qualified, although not all are receiving continuing development training in accordance with the Code of Practice.

Food hygiene and food standards premises inspections are being conducted at the minimum frequencies required by the Code of Practice, although records relating to the inspection of establishments that are subject to Regulation (EC) No. 853/2004 are not sufficiently detailed in some cases to determine whether inspections have assessed compliance with all aspects of relevant legislation.

Food sampling policies, procedures and programmes have been developed and are being implemented. Adverse food sample results are generally being followed-up appropriately.

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

The performance of the food law enforcement service is generally being monitored in accordance with required standards.