Agenda item

Presentation by the Food, Health and Safety Officer.

At the last meeting of the Committee it was suggested that as part of the Committees work programme food hygiene and the rating system should be looked at in more detail.  Apologies were given about the issues with the IT and Members were circulated with a copy of the presentation.  The Chairman was disappointed that the IT equipment was not working. It was noted that Studio 4 was not conductive to having presentations and a different location should be looked at for future meetings of the Committee whilst the public realm work was being carried out.

> Action Note

Location of future meetings of the Environment Overview and Scrutiny Committee were not to be in Studio 4 whilst the public realm works were being carried out.

Pauline Wright from the Environmental Health Commercial Team then gave her presentation about the Food Hygiene Rating Scheme (FHRS).  Pauline Wright began the presentation by giving Members some background about the work undertaken by the Environmental Health Commercial Team.  The team covered issues from food hygiene inspections, FHRS, complaints in connection with food and food businesses such as flies in pizza or packaging in sausages.  Health and safety inspections and complaints, responding to accidents and investigations, infectious disease investigations such as cases of salmonella poisoning and the prevention of the spread of the bacteria such as correct food handling. The team also undertook private water supply risk assessments and sampling.

In South Kesteven there were over 1300 registered food businesses comprising of restaurants, pubs and cafes, takeways, food vans and stalls, canteens and hotels, supermarkets and corner shops, schools, hospitals and care homes together with manufacturers.  The major sector of these outlets were the restaurant and catering sector. Businesses ranged from large businesses such as Moy Park to small microbreweries.  Some businesses were low risk such as a chemist that sold a few sweets these would not be included. 

The food hygiene rating scheme was a partnership scheme between the Local Authority and the Food Standards Agency. It gave the public information allowing them to make a choice where to buy food.  The rating was between zero and five. A zero score meant that urgent improvement was necessary and five which meant very good.  99% of business within South Kesteven were broadly compliant with scores between three, four and five.  Two businesses had a zero rating and four had a score of one. The Environmental Team worked closely with businesses to encourage compliance.   It was beneficial for the public to see the scoring for businesses although they did not have access to the inspection reports. Businesses used the scoring mechanism as a tool, a higher score was better for the business, a low score was detrimental and therefore businesses wanted to know how they could improve their score.

The number of inspections carried out depended upon the potential risk to public health, those with a higher risk would be inspected every six months where as those with a lower risk would be inspected every two years.  The interval for inspections with low risk businesses may be longer than two years. Inspections were unannounced and a new hygiene rating was given at each inspection.  Each business was scored on national guidance, how hygienically the food was handled and the physical condition of the business and how the business manages ways of keeping food safe.  Inspections were unannounced and lots of questions were asked during an inspection which could take between one and half to two hours.   Following an inspection the business received the relevant FHRS rating sticker and a report. The business could appeal the rating if they think it is unfair or wrong.  There were many options available to the team to deal with enforcement.  Advice and guidance were offered and formal letters were sent to businesses that had several contraventions.  Improvement notices were served on businesses with serious or persistent contraventions.  If the business was bad enough the team would ask for the business to sign a voluntary closure notice. If businesses continued to fail to comply the Council prosecuted them.

Businesses were not under a statutory obligation to display the rating score whereas in Wales it was mandatory.

Photographs were then shown of bad examples of food hygiene at various businesses throughout the district.

The Cabinet Member for Environment and the Committee thanked Ms Wright for the excellent presentation and congratulated the team on the work that they carried out. 

A question was asked about mobile units in relation to inspections. It was confirmed that the Local Authority where the unit was visiting would undertake the inspection and pass the report on to the home location of the business.  A further question was asked in relation to child minders and it was stated that these came more under OFSTED rather than the Local Authority and they were seen as low risk.   Judgement calls did come into play when officers spoke with businesses but child minders were seen as low risk.

Once again the Chairman thanked Ms Wright for her presentation and the work undertaken by the Team.