1.0 Introduction
The aim of this document is to set clear and consistent procedures for conducting Food Hygiene inspections within North Lanarkshire.
Inspections will be carried out at appropriate stages of the food chain to establish whether the requirements of relevant food law are being met.
An inspection of a food business may be either a primary inspection or secondary inspection; a definition of each is given later.
"Enforcement" includes the giving of advice and practical guidance on the interpretation or application of food law.
This document will be reviewed in the event of any relevant significant changes as necessary and also on an annual basis.
2.0 Primary Food Hygiene Inspections
A primary inspection is an inspection of a food business in which the appropriate elements set out in the relevant inspection form for the business concerned are considered. Authorised Officers may, however, use their professional judgement and decide to cover only certain elements of the inspection form in circumstances where they consider it appropriate to do so.
[EC] Regulation 852/2004 defines "Food hygiene" as the "measures and conditions necessary to control hazards and to ensure fitness for human consumption of a food, taking into account its intended use".
Food hygiene inspections are part of the system for ensuring that food meets the requirements of the food hygiene and safety law, including microbiological quality, absence of pathogenic micro-organisms and safety for consumption.
Inspections should be carried out when appropriate as detailed in the Service's food hygiene inspection programme which is based on the food hygiene inspection ratings that have been determined in accordance with Annex 5 of the Food Law Code of Practice (Scotland).
Circumstances may arise that require the re-scheduling of Primary Food Hygiene Inspections. Such situations may include:
- An unsafe practice is occurring or has occurred which represents a significant hazard to public health.
- Particular food handling or food preparation practice is found to entail a previously unsuspected hazard to public health.
- A food with widespread distribution was found to be contaminated and thereby presents a significant hazard to public health.
- There is evidence of widespread fraud in labelling or presentation of food.
Where such a situation arises, the Food Standards Agency may require Food Authorities to take specific action by means of a communication.
Circumstances may arise that make it appropriate to bring forward a Primary Inspection. Such circumstances may include -
- Receipt of a consumer complaint.
- Receipt of a new application for registration of a food business.
- Receipt of a request to change registration details.
- Becoming aware of any material change in ownership, management, layout or nature of operation of a food business.
- Receipt of a referral under the Home Authority Principle.
- Receipt of a request or other information from the Food Standards Agency.
- Becoming aware of a possible outbreak of food borne infection.
- Becoming aware that the business may be closed at the time of the due date because of seasonal closure.
When an early primary inspection takes place, the inspection may be recognised as meeting the requirements specified in Annex 5 of the Food Law Code Of Practice (Scotland), so long as the premises' risk rating is recalculated and the next programmed date for inspection is scheduled from the actual date of the early inspection.
2.1 The purpose of a Primary Food Hygiene Inspection
Food Hygiene inspections of premises undertaken by this Authority in terms of the Food Safety Act 1990 /The Food Hygiene (Scotland) Regulations 2006 have the following key objectives:
- The identification of potential hazards and risks to public health from the activities conducted within a food business.
- An assessment of the effectiveness of the management control system operated by the business. This system should be based on the principles of H.A.C.C.P (Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point).
- To identify specific contraventions of the Food Safety Act 1990/The Food Hygiene (Scotland) Regulations 2006 and any other relevant sub-ordinate legislation.
- The identification of potential health hazards and assessment of risks is the paramount importance. As such, an essential step in any programmed inspection must be an assessment of the hazards associated with the business.
Programmed inspections can be broken down into five stages:
(1) Planning for the Inspection.
(2) Preliminary Interview.
(3) The Inspection.
(4) Post Inspection Interview.
(5) Post Inspection Administration.
2.2 Planning the Primary Food Hygiene Inspection
Before embarking upon the actual inspection, Officers should set aside sufficient time to thoroughly familiarise themselves with the background history, nature of the business and relevant legislation pertinent to the premises to be inspected.
This objective can be achieved in part by examination of the individual premises file including -
- Previous risk assessment score(s).
- Individual risk assessment criteria ratings.
- History of relevant complaints.
- Food business management systems information.
- Information on layout (i.e. site plan) and processing operations (i.e. flow diagrams) where available.
- Reference to training records of supervisors and foodhandlers.
- Response to previous inspection outcomes.
- Checking computerised records in the A.P.P. software package.
- Approved Food Law Code of Practice and Practice Guidance.
- Reference to pertinent documents sourced via electronic media such as Technical Indices software package or via other legitimate sources such as L.A.C.O.R.S. or Food Standard Agency operated web-sites etc.
- Official guidance (e.g. E.U. and Industry Guides ).
- Dedicated food safety legislation (where applicable).
Timing of the inspection
Some food business by their very nature will conduct their operations outwith conventional office hours. As such, in order to obtain the maximum value from a planned inspection, the timing should be chosen to:
- Coincide with the optimum time to view specific processes or operations; and/or
- To ensure that key food business personnel are available.
Clothing and Equipment
This Authority will provide its Officers with or permit them access to the following items of protective clothing and equipment:
(a) White hats and coats and hairnets.
(b) Food-grade Wellington boots (where applicable).
(c) Disposable gloves.
(d) Electronic probe thermometers.
(e) Single-use bactericidal probe wipes.
(f) Torches.
(g) Cameras.
(h) Mobile telephones.
(i) Sampling and swabbing equipment.
(j) Official notebooks.
Damaged equipment and defective protective clothing shall be repaired or replaced (as appropriate) before being subjected to further use. Officers must report such incidents to their respective Line Manager without delay.
Electronic probe type thermometers shall be calibrated in accordance with the prescribed ISO 9001:2000 equipment calibration procedures QAP7 (Section 2).
In circumstances where formal action is anticipated any equipment to be used during the investigation should, where appropriate, be calibrated immediately before and again immediately after use.
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