Food Law Service Plan
Local Authorities are required to deliver food safety official controls in food premises within the authority's area. The Food Law Code of Practice (Scotland) requires these statutory obligations to be brought to the attention of the local authority's officials and or elected member bodies responsible for agreeing budgets or other service arrangements relevant to the delivery of official controls.
The obligations that apply to the delivery of official controls by local authorities include ensuring that:
- the effectiveness and appropriateness of official controls
- controls are applied at an appropriate risk based frequency
- they have a sufficient number of suitably qualified and experienced competent staff and adequate facilities and equipment to carry out their duties properly
- staff are free from conflicts of interest
- they have access to an adequate laboratory capacity and capability for testing
The Food Law Service Plan outlines how these obligations are being met and pursued within the Scottish Borders.
Safe food and drink is something which the vast majority of the population take for granted. The safety of this fundamental human need relies on a competent, trustworthy and properly regulated and managed supply monitored mainly by environmental health professionals working within local authorities.
The consequences of a failure in the safety of the food and drink we consume can be catastrophic in costs to human health, the food industry, governments, public confidence and trust. The purpose of the food service plan is to outline how such controls are delivered in the Scottish Borders within current resources.
The food service plan also incorporates other closely linked elements of public health protection undertaken by officers within the environmental health service.