Enforcement statistics for 2001 - Background

Member States of the EU are required under article 14 of the Official Control of Foodstuffs Directive 89/397 (OCD) to send to the European Commission annual returns on official food law enforcement activities. The Commission uses this information to ensure that foodstuffs are subjected to appropriate food controls across the EU.

The Food Standards Agency is responsible for collecting returns from all UK food authorities and arranging for the summary data to be submitted to the Commission. The new data, which relates to 2001, is attached and includes -

• the summary return for the UK that has been sent to the Commission;
• additional data collected during 2001 on informal samples, and
• individual summary returns for England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland

A paper on local authority food law enforcement activities during 2001 was presented to the Agency's Board in February 2003. A copy of this may be found elsewhere on this website, under Board papers.

On its own the data does not provide a basis on which to make an assessment of the performance of local authorities.

The information excludes important activities that form part of a balanced food law enforcement service. For example it does not include advice and information that local authorities give to consumers and businesses.

The data reported provides for a limited and quantitative assessment of key aspects of local authorities' activities.

The information reveals that the number of food premises in the UK has declined by 4% compared to 2000.

The total number of food hygiene and food standards inspections carried out across the UK increased by 17% compared to 2000.

The number of premises inspected rose by 8%. Of those inspected, 42% were found to have committed infringements of the law*; which is less than the corresponding figure of 45% for 2000.

Of those premises found to have committed infringements of the law, the vast majority - 95% - related to minor regulatory breaches dealt with by written warnings. These warnings are issued when the local authority is confident that the situation will be rectified without the need for further formal action and there is no imminent risk to public health.

Overall food sampling by local authorities across the UK continued to decline.

Local Authority enforcement officers have a crucial role to play to help protect consumers. The Agency will work with them to improve the effectiveness of their food safety measures and their prosecution of those businesses who are contravening food legislation. The Agency has also established audit teams to target local authorities where there are question marks over enforcement activity. In view of the results given in this data, the Agency's audit team has carried out programmes of focussed audits, looking specifically at sampling and at formal enforcement actions. The reports of these focussed audits will be published this year.

All information published on this website is also available from the libraries of the House of Commons and the House of Lords.

Any queries should be directed to:

Geoff Deville
Food Standards Agency
Aviation House
Room
404c Floor
125 Kingsway
London
WC2B 6NH

Email - geoff.deville@foodstandards.gsi.gov.uk
Tel - 020 7276 8412

* as defined by the EC