Bath & North East Somerset’s caterers can help shape
legislation
Bath & North East Somerset Council is urging local businesses
to help shape new food safety legislation.
In the run up to Food Safety Week, the Council has been
selected as one of just eight pilot areas to trial new food safety
procedures which will become law in 2006 and will require all food
businesses to keep written records of how they monitor critical
hazard points in the food storage and handling process.
Currently there is no such requirement, which can sometimes
make it difficult to assess whether a company is tackling food
hygiene properly.
Local public houses and licensed hotels serving food are being
selected to take part in the trial.
The views and ideas of Bath & North East Somerset businesses
will be flagged up with the research team based at the University
of Salford.
In July, the Council’s food safety team is running a free
seminar in partnership with the Bath Spa University College
followed by a series of workshops to tell businesses about the
forthcoming changes and to give them the chance to try out and
comment on the new systems before they are finalised by the Food
Standards Agency.
Food and Trading Standards Manager, Stephen Young, said:“ The
government is seeking to give a boost to food safety matters.
Their proposals will create a new system for preventing illness.
Food Safety Officers will now have something tangible to monitor
together with the other detailed checks we carry out during an
hygiene inspection. This will help us not only to identify
companies that need extra guidance but also it will also help us
enforce the law.
“Bath & North East Somerset Council is encouraging local
businesses to come along to the seminar and take part in the
workshops to learn more about this. We will be giving them advice
and practical assistance that will allow them to trial the
government's proposals ahead of any start dates. They can try out
the new paperwork for a few weeks and we will ask them what they
think. Then we will make sure that their comments are passed on to
the people who are drafting the legislation.”
The seminar and workshops will help inform businesses about the
changes in the law, and offer advice tailored to their individual
business.
Councillor Vic Pritchard, the Executive Member for Housing,
Community Safety and Consumer Services said: “This is a good
opportunity for food business proprietors to have their say on how
the legislation will be shaped and implemented. I would urge
businesses to come forward and book early as places on the free
seminar are limited.”
The free seminar will take place on Wednesday the July, 7, from
9:30am – 12:30pm, at Stanton Lecture Theatre, Bath Spa University
College, Newton Park, Newton St Loe, Bath. Places are limited to
60.
Food Safety Week runs from June 14 to June 18 and aims to
highlight the need for hygiene when preparing food, and other
safety issues related to the cooking and storage of food.
For further details and to reserve your place at the seminar,
contact the Food Safety Team on 01225 477508.
For more information, contact: Tracey Hollows: 01225 477564 or
01225 477508
Notes to Editors
In 2003 79,222 people went to their doctor
suffering from food poisoning but it is estimated that one in ten
people in the UK suffer from some form of food borne illness each
year.
The estimated cost of treating illness
caused by Salmonella and Campylobacter to the NHS in England and
Wales in 1999 was £27.8 million
In total, infectious intestinal disease
(from all causes not just food borne) cost at least £743 million
per year of which £268 million falls on the NHS and around £400 on
industry employees.
