Inverclyde (Core Audit)

Inverclyde is a Scottish unitary authority that has responsibility for food hygiene, food standards and feeding stuffs law enforcement within the Inverclyde area.

According to the 2006/2007 Food Service Plan approximately 710 businesses in the authority’s area are subject to food law official controls. There is also one approved establishment under feeding stuffs legislation.

There is currently no Service Delivery Plan in place for 2007/2008 as the service has recently been reorganised. The Authority intends to produce one for 2008/2009.

The authority has appointed authorised officers and inspectors to enforce food and feeding stuffs law. Qualification records demonstrate that officers are generally appropriately qualified for the work they are doing.

Training records for food law enforcement officers demonstrated that they were meeting the continuing development training requirements of the Code of Practice.

Food hygiene and food standards premises inspections are being conducted at the minimum frequencies required by the Food Law Code of Practice.

Records of inspections and other food and feeding stuffs enforcement activities are generally well documented and sufficiently detailed to demonstrate that inspections have assessed compliance with all aspects of relevant legislation in accordance with the Code of Practice and/or centrally issued guidance.

The authority participates in co-ordinated surveys, surveillance exercises, and the sampling of locally produced food. Any results that were unsatisfactory had been notified to the business concerned and appropriately followed-up.

Officers make use of a range of informal and formal enforcement options, including letters, voluntary surrenders of food, hygiene improvement notices, and reports to the Procurator Fiscal.