Agenda item

To receive a report from the Head of Housing and Health providing a service update for the statutory work of the Food Safety team within Public Health and Housing Options and the reviewed Food Safety Service Plan for 2025-2026.

The Group had before it and NOTED a *report from the Head of Housing and Health.

The following was highlighted:

·         This was an Annual Report regarding the strategy of the Food Safety Team within the Public Health team.

·         The Food Safety Service Plan set out how the Service would meet its statutory responsibilities around food safety.

·         The Central Authority responsible for food in the United Kingdom was the Food Standards Agency, Mid Devon District Council were the ‘competent authority’ working on their behalf. The Council had to meet the Food Standards Agency’s chief requirements and the plan set out how that service was delivered.

·         There were nearly 1,000 registered food premises in the district.

·         750 of those establishments are in scope of the food hygiene rating scheme being scored between 0 and 5.

·         134 new businesses registered with the Service last year which meant that the base line of this work was growing by 2.5 businesses per week.

·         90% of the premises that the Food Service worked with were in a good category. The Council was one of only two districts in Devon with no premises in the zero category – those that were in urgent need of improvement. Overall, the rating of the businesses were improving so the Council’s Food Service’s interventions were very effective. The team had taken 100 premises through an improvement in their food rating.

·         Only two thirds of the inspections or interventions that the Food Standards Agency required of the team during 2024/2025 were met. This was indicative of the lack in staffing resources and staff changes over the year, there were currently only 2.5 full time equivalent members of staff who were competent to carry out those inspections. A plan for the future staffing of the team was being developed. Meanwhile, an external food contractor was being used to carry out some inspections.

Discussion took place regarding:

·         The difference between those premises that were registered and those that were required to have a food hygiene certificate was explained by the fact that certain businesses were exempt from the scheme. They were the ones that were classed as low risk, those perhaps who sold other items and a little sealed confectionary, or producers, manufacturers and distributors – all were excluded from the scheme as they did not sell directly to the consumer and that was what the food hygiene rating scheme was designed for.

·         The number of additional staff required to visit all the premises the Food Standards Agency (FSA) required of the Council and meet their targets? It was confirmed that  overall possibly 1 Full Time Equivalent (FTE) member of staff may be needed possibly split between 0.5 FTE in a senior food role and 0.5 FTE in a lower regulatory role. Those were statutory duties for which the Council received no funding by way of cost recovery. The resourcing issue was not just affecting the Council, it was nationwide, therefore, the FSA was looking into a cost recovery model for permitting or licensing businesses.

Note: *Report previously circulated.