Chief Executive of the FSA worried about funding for food safety.

On 23rd of last month, Emily Miles the Chief Executive of the Food Standards Agency [FSA] said at the Chartered Institute of Environmental Health [CIEH] food safety conference, that she was increasingly worried about the impact of local authority funding shortages on food safety. 

Last year in June The National Audit Office report on the FSA “Ensuring food safety and standards”, stated Some local authorities are failing to meet statutory objectives to conduct interventions. Interventions (including inspections) are aimed at ensuring food businesses comply with food law. In each year since 2012-13, English local authorities failed to carry out all the hygiene and standards interventions of food businesses that were ‘due’ (as set down in the Food Law Code of Practice)

A report released by Unchecked on Monday 26th October this year clearly demonstrates a lack of enforcement across societal issues, mainly due to a lack of funding of regulators therefore leading to less staff and hence less regulatory activities, which help protect the public.
The link to this excellent report is below:

https://www.unchecked.uk/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/The-UKs-Enforcement-Gap-2020.pdf

For example, this report in relation to food, indicates that the FSA unannounced inspections of cutting plants in England and Wales fell by 39% between 2013-2019.
 
The report also indicated in relation to food product sampling testing in England, Wales and Northern Ireland by Local authorities fell by 59% between 2009-2019.
 
We had already had the horse meat scandal and lately it appears that some food businesses appear to be using product recalls too frequently, rather than ensuring their products are safe as they can be, prior to placing on the market, which I believe is their legal responsibility.
 
On Monday 26th October the independent report of National Health Service (NHS) food in hospitals, after the Listeria outbreak caused from Pre-packed sandwiches last summer that affected several hospitals in England was released.  This sadly led to the death of seven people. Link to this report below.
 
https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/929234/independent-review-of-nhs-hospital-food-report.pdf
 
Let’s hope this 96 page report called for by Matt Hancock, Secretary of State for Health, as a root and branch review of food in the NHS is more than just words.  
 
Possibly too late for this independent NHS report, research carried out between 2018-2019 in England from catering and retail premises attached, indicated 24% of frozen vegetables and 2% of frozen fruit samples were found to have Listeria. Link to this research below.
 
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0168160520303433
 
Listeria has the highest mortality rate per number of reported foodborne illness cases at approximately 20-30%. It mainly affects the elderly but can affect people with weakened immune systems, pregnant women and their unborn babies and new-born babies. There are normally 150 - 200 cases reported each year in the UK.
 
 Covid-19 outbreaks continue to cause problems for workers at food processing plants. The link below shows the latest outbreak of Covid-19 at a meat processing plant In Norfolk where 248 people have tested positive.
 
https://www.edp24.co.uk/news/health/cranswick-watton-factory-coronavirus-cases-rise-to-248-1-6909398
 
Thank you for your continued help and support.
 
Stay safe