Shetland Islands Council (Core Audit)

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

According to the 2006-2007 Monitoring Return submitted to the Agency, 411 businesses in the Authority’s area are subject to food law enforcement, although this was not stated in the Food Service plan as required by the Service Planning Guidance in the Framework Agreement. There is one approved establishment under feedingstuffs legislation.

The Authority has separate Food Service Plans, one covering food hygiene and food standards and another covering feeding stuffs law enforcement. These generally do not meet the requirements of the Service Planning Guidance in the Framework Agreement.

An annual review of 2006-07 Performance targets is contained within the 2007-2008 Service Plan, but that Service Plan had not been reported to the appropriate Member forum at the time of the audit due to the recent Local Authority elections.

The Authority has appointed authorised Officers to enforce food and feeding stuffs law. Qualification and training records for food law enforcement Officers demonstrate that Officers are generally appropriately qualified for the work they are doing and all are receiving continuing development training in accordance with the Code of Practice. However, in relation to food standards enforcement, some food law enforcement Officers were unqualified for the scope of their authorisations.

Some food hygiene and food standards premises inspections are not being conducted at the minimum frequencies as required by the Food Law Code of Practice.

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 approvals and inspections 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. Adverse food and feeding stuffs sample results are 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 reporting to the Procurator Fiscal for prosecution.

Following the Agency's audit in June 2007, Shetland Islands 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 below details the following:

• the original non conformity identified during the June 2007 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 May 2008
• the comments of the Agency Auditors following their follow up audit on 23 July 2008

The actions taken to address the action plan have been noted. With the exception of the non conformity in relation to section 3.1 of the Standard, action has been taken to address all other non conformities raised during the audit in June 2007.