South Ayrshire (Core Audit) (Closed)

South Ayrshire Council is a Scottish Unitary Local Authority and therefore has responsibility for enforcing food hygiene, food standards and feeding stuffs. Food that is produced in the area is distributed widely.

Approximately 1,100 businesses in the Authority's area are subject to food law enforcement. There are also 180 registered intermediaries and establishments under feeding stuffs legislation.

The Authority has a Food Service Plan covering food hygiene, food standards and feeding stuffs law enforcement that generally meets the requirements of the Service Planning Guidance in the Framework Agreement. An annual review based on the Service Plan had been carried out, and the identified four variances were reported on the Council Performance Management System on 22 May 2006.

The Authority has authorised Officers to enforce food and feeding stuffs law, and qualification and training records for food law enforcement Officers demonstrate that Officers are appropriately qualified and are receiving continuing development training in accordance with the Code of Practice.

Some food hygiene and food standards premises inspections are not being conducted at the required minimum frequencies, and some food businesses are not included in the planned food standards inspection programme.

Documentation relating to the inspection of establishments that are subject to Regulation (EC) No. 853/2004 is not sufficiently detailed in some cases to determine whether approvals and inspections have assessed compliance with all aspects of relevant legislation.

A sampling policy and programme for feeding stuffs has been developed and is being implemented, although there is no 2006-2007 programme for the sampling of food. 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, improvement notices, and references to the Procurator Fiscal for prosecution.

Service performance is generally being monitored in accordance with required standards, although food law enforcement monitoring is not meeting the Authority�s standards in some areas.