Food sampling audits
The Food Standards Agency has published the findings of a programme of audits looking specifically at food sampling by local authorities.
The food-sampling audit programme consisted of one-day audits of 15 local authorities, as well as visits to three public analysts and a public-health laboratory, between October and December 2002.
The authorities were selected to represent a cross-section of local-authority types, geographical location and levels of food-sampling activity.
The laboratories visited provide support to approximately half of the 415 English local authorities.
The Agency decided to carry out an audit programme on food sampling because of an apparent decline in sampling by English authorities and a wide variation between authorities in the number of samples being taken.
Food sampling forms an integral part of local-authority food-law enforcement and it can provide useful information to help effective enforcement of food law and contribute to improved food safety and standards.
The audit programme didn't identify one main reason for the variation in sampling levels between local authorities and the apparent decline in the total number of samples being taken. The findings show a number of contributing factors, including the different approaches to food sampling adopted by authorities, and the lack of national co-ordination of sampling activity.
The Agency Board considered the summary report at its July 2003 meeting (Papers FSA 03/07/03 and Annex 1 below) and agreed a number of recommendations on how the problems identified during the audit programme should be tackled.
This is the first of a series of focused audit programmes that the Agency plans to carry out to explore the reasons behind trends in specific areas of local-authority food-law enforcement.
The food sampling protocols and checklists can be found below. These are reviewed regularly and any comments and suggestions to improve these documents should be sent to Abimbola Adeyemi at abimbola.adeyemi@foodstandards.gsi.gov.uk.
Find out more
Good practice identified during local authority audits in England, Wales and Northern Ireland
The Food Standards Agency shares good practice identified during a local authority audit, as part of the Agency's focused audit programme. A reference to good practice identified is available, together with relevant contacts from which further information is available.
Summary Report on Focused Audit Programme on Food Sampling in England October - December 2002
This report provides a summary of the findings from the focused food sampling audit programme carried out by the Audit Branch of the Agency's Enforcement Division.
See also
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