of the Food Chain in UK

(1)

Control of the Safety Control of the Safety of the Food Chain in UK

30/01/2012 – 03/02/2012

(2)

United Kingdom = 4 regions

• “Great Britain” = England, Scotland, Wales

– Local authorities (469)

• Counties

• Districts

• Northern Ireland (Ulster ) = province

= 1 local authority

(3)

Competent authorities

representing UK on international level

• DEFRA = Department for Environment, Food and Rural

• DEFRA = Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

– primary production

• FSA = Food Standards Agency – meat hygiene

– food and feed industry– food and feed industry – distribution

(4)

FIELD STAFF SUPERVISION

MEAT ^FSA

E S W NI

469 LA E

FSA

FOOD

FEED

DEFRA

469 LA

DARD

E S W NI 208 LA

DARD

E S W NI E

PRIMARY

PRODUCTION

DEFRA

Agencies 4 ministries Agriculture

E S W NI

(5)

Control of the Food Chain

• Primary production = 4 Ministries of Agriculture

• Meat related activities = 1 Agency for UK

– Food Standards Agency

– National field staff in every UK region

• Food industry = 469 Local Authorities + NI

• Distribution = 469 Local Authorities + NI

• Feed industry = 208 Local Authorities + NI

• NI = Northern Ireland

(6)

Primary production

• 4 regions = 4 ministries of agriculture

• Economy of agriculture

• Environment

• Plant Health

• Animal Health & Welfare

• Residues

(7)

DEFRA

• Department for Environment, Food and Rural

• Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

• = ministry of agriculture for England region

• = central competent authority for UK on international level

• Enforcement by “Agencies”

(8)

Defra Agencies

• Food and Environment Research Agency

= Plant health

• Animal Health and Veterinary Laboratories Agency

• Veterinary Medicines Directorate

• Pesticides Safety Directorate

• British Cattle Movement Service

(9)

Food Standards Agency

• Central competent authority for UK on international level for food safety

• Independent Government department

• Does not report to a specific minister

• Accountable to Parliament through health ministers of England, Scotland, Wales, NI

• Led by a Board

– Board holds meetings in public

– Video-on-demand recordings of past open Board meetings

(10)

FSA strategy (-2015)

• foods produced or sold in the UK are safe to eat (same for imported foods)

• food producers and caterers give priority to consumer interests

• consumers have the information and

understanding to make independent choice

• regulation is effective, risk-based and

• regulation is effective, risk-based and proportionate …

• enforcement is effective, consistent, risk-based and proportionate …

(11)

FSA management

• Chief Executive

• Chief Scientist

• Directors

– Food Safety – Operations

– Legal Services – Communications – Finance

– Finance

– Human Resources

– FSA Scotland, FSA Wales, FSA Northern Ireland

(12)

FSA advice

• General Advisory Committee on Science

• Committees:

– “Social Science Research”, “Animal

Feedingstuffs”, “Novel Foods and Processes”,

“Toxicity”, “Carcinogenicity”, “Mutagenicity”,

“Dangerous Pathogens “, “Medical Aspects of

Food and Nutrition Policy”, “Pesticides”, “Pesticide Food and Nutrition Policy”, “Pesticides”, “Pesticide Residues”, “Veterinary Products”, “Veterinary

Residues”.

(13)

Meat Hygiene Service = FSA

• 12 Units (Business Manager)

• 37 Clusters (Lead Veterinarian)

• Official veterinarians (ante mortem and supervision)

• Meat Health Inspectors (post mortem)

• Civil Servants

• Contractors

(14)

(15)

Civil servant Contracted

FSA - Field staff

Lead veterinarian

17

27

Official veterinarian 274

Meat hygiene inspector 691 154

Subtotal 708 455

Total 1.163

(16)

Local Authorities

• 469 in Great Britain (England, Scotland and

• 469 in Great Britain (England, Scotland and Wales)

• 1 in Northern Ireland (DARD) (Department of Agriculture and Rural Development)

• Total staff: 2774 employees

• Local Authorithy Co-ordinators of Regulatory

• Local Authorithy Co-ordinators of Regulatory Services (LACORS)

• Regional Liaison Groups

(17)

National Control Plan

• EU regulation 882/2004

• Implemented by

– 4 ministries of agriculture – 4 ministries of agriculture

– FSA (meat related activities)

– 469 local authorities (food industry and distribution – 208 local authorities (feed industry)

• Laboratories: “UK Accreditation Service”

• Results: “UK Food Surveillance System” =

national database

(18)

Training for local authority enforcement officers

= FSA

– “HACCP Assessment for Enforcement Officers”

– “Working effectively with minority ethnic food – “Working effectively with minority ethnic food

businesses”

– “Vacuum-packing course”

– “Auditing food safety activities and processes”

– “Evidence Gathering and Interview Skills”

– “Local Authority Investigation Skills”

– “Feed safety management systems at food businesses”

– “Import controls on feed of non-animal origin”

– “Food Standards Update Training”

(19)

E-learning

• “Share Point Learning Kit”

(Microsoft program, = free available)

• 30 volunteers in FSA made 150 courses

• On line on intranet

• Individual learning time is registered

• Evaluation system is included

(20)

Manual for Offical Control

• Audit (UK) = Inspection (BE)

• Announced (tendancy to unannounced)

• Food law code of practice

• Food law code of guidance

• Meat Industry Guide

• Food Safety Management Diary

• TEC files

(21)

(22)

(23)

Safer Food for Better Business

• Food safety management procedures for

• Food safety management procedures for small business operators

• = HACCP compendium in simple words

• Specific editions

– Catering, restaurants, retail, childminders, …

– 16 different languages (Chinese, Indian, Pakistani, – 16 different languages (Chinese, Indian, Pakistani,

Bangladeshi, Sri Lankan, …)

(24)

(25)

Budget and charging Policy

• Meat related activities: inspection = charged

• Other activities

– Charging system is being developped – Charging system is being developped – No contributions ( no control: no pay) – Inspection time will be charged 100 %

• Incentive for operator to be compliant

• Consulting time is not charged

(26)

Service Level Agreements

FSA charges other authorities for controls at slaughterhouse level

• Defra, Scottish and Welsh Governments

– BSE, TSE, Aujeszky, EBL – BSE, TSE, Aujeszky, EBL

– Animal transport, byproducts, horse passports, marketregulation, …

• British Cattle Movement Service

– Bovine passports and earmarks

• Veterinary Medicines Directorate

– National Suveillance Scheme for Residues in Meat

• Animal Health and Veterinary Laboratories Agency

– TB lesions and DNA sampling

(27)

Food Hygiene Rating System

• Scopes for inspection

– How hygienically the food is handled?

– Condition of structure?

– How you manage and document food safety?

• Ratings: 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 = very good

• Certificate for operator

• Published on FSA website

• Voluntary system > 250 local authorities

(28)

Smiley in UK

(29)

(30)

Hygiëne en voedselveiligheid 0 tot 25 Infrastructuur 0 tot 25 Management- en controleprocedures 0 tot 30

Rating = som van scores voor 3 criteria

Management- en controleprocedures 0 tot 30

(31)

Rating Aantal bedrijven

nombre d’établissements %

5 155.303 49,9%

4 72.409 23,3%

3 51.562 16,6%

2 12.303 4,0%

1 17.598 5,7%

0 1.894 0,6%

Totaal 311.069 100,0%

(32)

(33)

Better regulation of food policies

• Government strategic objectives

– New regulation = “One in – one out”

• No additional cost for operators

– Red tape challenge

• Skip obsolete regulations

– No over-interpretation of EU law – Micro business moratorium

• Small or starting business has control facilities

– Sunsetting & review

• Expiry date

(34)

UK = different from Belgium

• Official control for food safety is not centralised

– Regions have large autonomy

– Counties, districts = Local authorities

= control enforcement

• Financing: no control no pay

• Meat inspection by technicians

• FSA staff via contractors • FSA staff via contractors

• Regulation policy

• Enforcement strategy

(35)

Applications for Belgium?

• Food Hygiene Rating System

• Safer Food for Better Business

• Contractors: decrease number of civil servants

• Training for enforcement officers

– Code of practice – Code of practice – Code of guidance

• E-learning

(36)

UK Policy and strategy in BE?

• Better regulation of food policies

– Administrative simplification – No overregulation on EU law – Expiry date for new regulation – No additional cost for operator

• Control strategy

– Proportionality, Accountability, Consistency, Transparency

– Consulting and advice = free