Trading Standards Food Plan 2008-9

Executive Summary

Introduction

The annual Food Plan is produced to meet the national requirements published by the Food Standards Agency (FSA). This is the Government body responsible for overseeing local authority food enforcement activities. It is a requirement that the plan must demonstrate that local enforcement is delivered in a manner that meets our published corporate aims. Our Service undertakes food enforcement activities that contribute directly or indirectly to many of these aims.

In particular by preventing food frauds, scams or the sale of defective foodstuffs we have an opportunity to reduce crime and protect more vulnerable members of our community. The production and sale of safe wholesome quality foods that are correctly labelled and described can have significant benefits for the health of individuals. Our educational work ensures that local consumers and school children can make informed decisions about the food they eat.

This work, which helps to maintain a level playing field for legitimate business, contributes to the sustainability of a high quality food industry offering safe, wholesome foods for our communities.

In helping manufacturers to ‘get it right first time’ we prevent unnecessary waste, remove the cost of product rectification and assist our local businesses to maintain profitability and, therefore, sustainability.

Demands on our Service

Our Service database indicates that we have about 16,135 trading premises in County Durham. Of these around 6,000 are subject to food and animal feeding-stuff legislative control. This database of information is the key to our service planning.

Inspection Programme

All traders in our county are risk assessed in accordance with national guidance, to determine the appropriate inspection frequency. We have now implemented the national scheme and there are currently around 116 premises that are designated as ‘High Risk’ businesses, which are visited every year. In addition we have around 1,311‘Medium Risk’ traders and 938 ‘Low Risk’ traders which are subject to official controls every 2 and 5 years respectively. Risk assessment ensures that we target officer resources in the most effective way.

Enquiry Investigation

Our pro-active inspection programme ensures local businesses meet legal requirements. We also investigate a wide range of problems relating to foodstuffs that are received from a diverse range of sources. Enquiries are received from members of the public, other local authorities, business and outside agencies. All enquiries are dealt with in accordance with our Service Standards and Enforcement Policies, which fully comply with diversity issues.

During the year we have continued to develop our partnership arrangements, with both local and national agencies, building on our successes in the preceding years. We have also consolidated the strong links we have built with our educational and catering supply services. The referral process with our colleagues in the district authorities continues to work effectively. This work ensures that we operate effectively together to deliver our services to our local community.

Sampling Plan

Our Service places a high priority on taking planned formal food and non-food samples from retail, manufacturing, and more recently educational catering premises. This protects our community ensuring the safety of products, that goods are correctly described and the quality of foods and their ingredients are maintained.

This, realistically, is the only practical method to detect and prevent unsafe consumer goods, mis-descriptions and food adulteration. Last year we took around 690 formal food samples and over 80 non-food samples. The vast majority of these are then submitted to Scientific Services, or other specialist accredited laboratories, for analysis.

We have continued our support for the FSA National Sampling Database (FSS). The database has made good progress and it allows us to share and evaluate sample results on a national basis, ensuring our resources are targeted effectively. The countywide public register of feeding stuff mixers, storers and transporters is now available to the public. These exciting initiatives continue to put Durham at the forefront of food and feeding stuff enforcement.

Home Authority Principle and Enforcement Policy

We realise that the majority of businesses wish to comply with our national laws. We, therefore, continue to commit considerable resources to working with local business, under the Home Authority Principle. However, where unfair or unjust practices cannot be rectified through this route, we have clearly stated our intention to undertake appropriate legal action in accordance with our Criminal Law Enforcement Policy / Regulators compliance code.

Review of Performance

Trading Standards have four specialist teams to deal with particular fields of work. Officers in the Quality team undertake the majority of our food enforcement duties.

This year the team has continued to make significant progress in dealing with a wide variety of local food issues. They have also continued to consolidate their expertise in Agriculture Act compliance, thus ensuring that feedingstuffs for farm animals are safe and wholesome.

To date 708 food samples have been taken. Of the 691 formal food samples taken 134 failed. 17 informal food samples were taken with zero failures. In total 7 food sample failures were compositional, 10 food sample failures were both compositional and labelling and 117 food sample failures were labelling irregularities.

This year prosecution files were submitted on the following subjects:-

food items being offered for sale in County Durham which were past their use-by (minimum durability) dates
the quality of natural honey. This investigation came from the results obtained from the Internet Project we undertook for the FSA during 2006-07.
Substituted whiskey - the whisky was advertised as a well-known brand but analysis indicated otherwise
Irradiated imported Ginseng which was incorrectly labelled
excess fat in mince

The Service has recently begun an investigation into suspected counterfeit Vodka which was found on sale in County Durham. The trader concerned may face prosecution in due course.

Our inspections of local food businesses, food samples and subsequent enforcement actions have met our planned targets. The team are continuing to commit substantial efforts to develop and promote a wide variety of local community initiatives to improve awareness of current food issues. Our successful Caf� Life! nutritional program will soon be available online. The range of foods included in Caf� Life has been extended to foods from other countries such as curries and lasagne.

The team again took part in National Salt Awareness Week in conjunction with the Consensus Action on Salt and Health (CASH) and the FSA. The week raised awareness as to the health dangers of eating too much salt. Children were the target audience this year and leaflets and posters were displayed in local schools.

The team took part in four FSA/LACORS food projects this year including mycotoxins in Feedingstuffs, children’s meals at tourist/leisure facilities, pesticide residues in pick your own fruit and vegetables and irradiated food supplements.

To date a total of 42 national food alerts issued by the FSA were dealt with in conjunction with our colleagues in the District Councils, ensuring that defective products were removed from sale and the local people informed of particular food concerns, such as possible traces of veterinary medicine residues in lamb.

Packaging

63 samples were screen-tested for heavy metals including food, cosmetics and toys. Of these 2 samples failed the screen test and were purchased and submitted for further analysis.

While testing packaging for heavy metals officers at the same time can make a judgement as to whether a product is packaged excessively.

Jewellery

125 items of jewellery were screen tested in situ on retail premises. 5 items were found worthy of further analysis and 3 items were later pursued as formal investigations.

Electrical Goods Safety

Particularly successful was our partnership working with Age Concern. This allowed us to go into the community and test older adults electrical appliances for electrical safety using our expert test facilities. A broad range of goods were tested and potentially unsafe appliances repaired or condemned as appropriate.

Toys

A number of toys and Halloween and Christmas decorations were tested this year against the relevant safety standard. No significant problems were found.

Planned Initiatives 2008-2009

Our service will continue to provide protection to our communities, from problems associated with food frauds and inferior foodstuffs, through rigorous inspection and food sampling programmes. This important enforcement work forms the backbone of next year’s activity, complemented by specific, targeted initiatives designed to police emerging new markets.

This year’s plan consolidates the good work of the previous years, allowing us greater flexibility to adapt to local demands and deal with local and national food issues. We are continuing to develop and rationalise the samples that we take.

Technological Advances

Our involvement with the pilot national samples (FSS) database is continuing and we are hoping that the FSA will eventually be able to merge the FSS and the CIVICA databases so that the data is required only once. Our participation in national sampling co-ordination exercises ensures that our resources are targeted effectively to ensure local food continues to meet acceptable quality standards.

Cafe Life

Cafe Life will be made available online so that children and their families will be able to run the programme at home thus enabling parent/child dialogue on healthy eating and nutrition. We also plan to promote and use the programme in County Durham schools both on a stand-alone basis and/or as part of other healthy eating/science school initiatives.

Packaging Seminar

As a result of the feedback from the Home Authority business survey carried out during 2007-08 we will publicise, promote and deliver a business seminar on the Packaging (Essential Requirements) Regulations 1998.

Routine Inspection

Currently around 116 food premises are risked as ‘High’ and are planned for annual inspection. In addition, around 1,311 ‘Medium’ risk food premises are scheduled for inspection once every 2 year. There are also 938 ‘Low’ risk food premises which are subject to official controls at least once every 5 years.

Food Sampling Programme

We will continue to apply an overriding caveat that we will always endeavour to select samples from our local Home Authority producers. In this way we will ensure that all food products produced in County Durham satisfy food law requirements.

Our themed routine sampling concentrates on such products as:-

Milk from local dairies for fat content and milk from nursery schools for fat and fluoride content
Meat for compositional standards, additives and species
Alcopops for excess preservatives and the non-declaration of sweeteners in the labelling
Bottled and draft cider for apple and SO2 content. Do people buy cider for apple content or for alcohol content?
Alcohol for brand substitution, labelling and methanol content
Budget-end food products and ready meals for labelling and composition including fat, salt and sugar analysis
Dried fruit for excess preservative
Imported food for antibiotic, pesticide or HMF levels, imported wines for SO2 levels and labelling, imported fruit and vegetables for heavy metals, imported meat and fish for compositional and labelling compliance
School Meals - As new nutritional standards in primary schools come into force in September 2008 we will be re-considering the manner in which we take school meal samples so that we can feed back to school meals providers more meaningful nutritional results.

New ideas for 2008-09 include:-

Omega 3 claims- Omega 3 is the new ‘buzz’ word in food labelling and is promoted as a ‘brain food’. The purpose of sampling such claims is to try and inform consumers that there is a significant difference in Omega 3 derived from fish oils and Omega 3 derived from plants sources. The ‘brain’ benefits of Omega 3 are in the ‘essential fatty acids’ and these are only found in fish oils. Many food producers are emblazoning their products with plant derived Omega 3 claims when there may be little benefit to consumers.
With health and wellbeing as one of our main concerns this year and with the Beijing Olympics 2008 in sight, we will be sampling sports supplements such as body building foods for labelling, nutritional and compositional claims
Fuel taints on food in garage shop premises. Some high fat foods such as crisps can absorb taint from fuel through the plastic packaging. The taint will mainly affect food which is on display near to the shop entrance. This sampling will try and identify if this is a problem in County Durham.

Imported Food Grant

We have submitted a bid to the FSA for �16,650 in order for us to participate in their imported food project. If successful the work will be undertaken jointly with Durham County Food Liaison Group (DCFLG), the Health Protection Agency (HPA) and our Public Analyst.

FSA/LACORS Projects

We hope to participate in a number of other FSA projects including:-

nutritional sampling at either nursery schools, primary schools, residential homes (venues still to be decided)
sampling of a single meat product-suggestions are sausages or kebabs
National Salt Survey

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PDF Icon Food Plan 2008-09 .pdf (42 pages, 994kb)