Local Authority Shellfish Traceability Audit Summary Report - Foreword

These arrangements recognise that the enforcement of UK feed and food law relating to feed and food safety, hygiene, composition, labelling, imported food and feeding stuffs is largely the responsibility of LAs. These LA regulatory functions are principally delivered through Environmental Health and Trading Standards Services.

Audits assess LAs’ conformance against the Feed and Food Law Enforcement Standard contained within the Framework Agreement on Official Feed and Food Controls by LAs (the Framework Agreement), the Food Law Code of Practice (FLCoP) and relevant official enforcement guidance.

It should be acknowledged that there will be considerable diversity in the way and manner in which LAs may provide their feed and food enforcement services reflecting local needs and priorities. The main aim of the audit scheme is to maintain and improve consumer protection and confidence by ensuring that LAs are providing an effective feed and food law enforcement service. The scheme also provides the opportunity to identify and disseminate good practice and to provide information to inform FSA policy.

The power to set standards, monitor and audit feed and food law enforcement authorities was conferred on the Food Standards Agency by the Food Standards Act 1999 and The Official Feed and Food Control (England) Regulations 2009. The FSA’s audits of LAs are undertaken under section 12(4) of the Act. Assimilated Regulation (EU) 2017/625 on official controls performed to ensure the verification of compliance with food and feed law, includes a requirement under Article 6(1) for competent authorities to carry out internal audits or to have external audits carried out. To fulfil this requirement, the FSA, as the central competent authority for food and feed law in England, Wales and Northern Ireland has established external audit arrangements. The purpose of these audits is to verify whether official controls relating to feed and food law are implemented effectively. In developing these, the FSA has taken account of the European Commission guidance on how such audits should be conducted.

Further information on the FSAs LA audit scheme.

A glossary of technical terms used within the audit report can be found at Annex G.