Current status: Answered by Aileen Campbell on 18 April 2017
To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the recent Which? report, Food law enforcement – putting consumers first, regarding how food hygiene standards are enforced by local authorities, and how it is working with councils to improve these standards, including learning from best practice.
The Scottish Government expects food law enforcement bodies to protect consumers, support responsible businesses and take enforcement action where that is necessary.
I have been advised by Food Standards Scotland (FSS) that they do not use Which?’s approach to rank local authorities as it does not consider the nature or variety of formal enforcement actions taken by local authorities, the individual local authority enforcement policy, nor the very varied food business profile within local authority areas.
FSS independently audits local authorities to assess the capability and capacity of environmental health services. Reports from these audits provide valuable feedback on the service and contain advice on areas where improvement is necessary or recommended in order for local authorities to properly fulfil their obligations under Scotland’s Food Law Code of Practice. Good practice is also shared with local authorities through Scotland’s Food Enforcement Liaison Committee.