Food Policy

The Environmental Health Service has a key role in working with businesses and consumers to ensure that food and drink intended for sale for human consumption, which is produced, stored, distributed, handled or consumed within the county, is without risk to the health or safety of the consumer.

The need for high standards of hygiene within food businesses remains paramount particularly to maintain public confidence and meet consumer expectations.

Our approach to the enforcement of food safety reflects the responsibilities placed upon them by the Food Safety Act 1990, Food Safety and Hygiene (England) Regulations 2013, General Food Regulations 2004 (as amended), the Official Feed and Food Control (England) Regulations 2009 (as amended) and other regulations.

We aim to protect the public by delivering a complementary programme of education and enforcement which endeavours to ensure that food businesses within the county are operated and maintained at a standard that complies with relevant legislation. We also ensure that our service fulfils the statutory duty imposed on the Council as a "food authority" and to ensure the effective implementation of Government strategy on food safety issues.

Our enforcement policy reflects the Principles of Good Regulation set out in the Legislative and Regulatory Reform Act 2006, namely that regulatory activities should be carried out in a way which is transparent, accountable, proportionate and consistent; and that regulatory activities should be targeted only at cases in which action is needed. In drafting this policy, we have taken account of the Regulators’ Code and the Council’s overarching enforcement policy.