Food Control
The aim of the food team is to ensure all food produced, handled, stored, distributed, imported consumed or sold within the borough is:
- fit for human consumption,
- does not lead to food borne illness,
- free from contamination and
- meets composition and labelling standards
thereby reducing the risk to consumers.
Every year, we produce a Business Plan which sets out our Food Service delivery priorities for the coming twelve months. Food control can be broadly divided into two sections:
- Food Hygiene and Safety – This covers the safety of food for human consumption and hygiene standards within food premises
- Food Standards – This covers composition, labelling and food allergen control
The food team undertakes a wide range of activities in relation to food control including:-
- carry out planned food hygiene and food standards inspections and interventions of all food businesses located within the Council area
- administration of the Food Hygiene Rating Scheme for relevant premises
- approval of manufacturing premises that handle meat products, dairy products, fish products, and other types of food of animal origin
- investigate food complaints about the hygiene of premises
- investigate cases and outbreaks of food poisoning
- carry out routine microbiological and compositional sampling of food
- check food labelling
- respond to food alerts
- advise businesses on the layout of food premises, food safety management systems, hygiene standards, food labelling and training
- promote food safety in the home and provide information to the general public, businesses and voluntary organisations on any aspect of food safety and food standards.
Food Sampling
The purpose of the routine sampling of food carried out by the Food Team is to:
- protect the consumer through enforcement of food hygiene and food standards legislation.
- verify the effectiveness of a food business’s Food Safety Management System. Evaluating temperature control, food handling and processing practices.
- give advice and guidance, if appropriate, on food hygiene and food standards matters.
- assess the quality of food manufactured, distributed or retailed in Causeway Coast and Glens Council area
- ensure imported food complies with relevant food legislation.
- giving customers sufficient information to make informed choices
- detect fraudulent activities
- ensure consistent and proportionate follow up action is taken upon receipt of sampling results in line with the council’s enforcement policy.
Council has a Food Sampling Policy which guides the development of our food sampling programmes and helps provide a regional focus for microbiological sampling of foodstuffs and sampling for food standards. You can download our sampling policy here:
Food Sampling Policy
Enforcement
Following food hygiene and food standards inspections, the Environmental Health Service will take various courses of action depending on conditions found and the perceived risk to the public. Such actions include:
- Verbal and written advice
- Written warnings
- Service of Improvement Notices, which requires works to be carried out within a specified time period
- Service of Emergency Prohibition Notices where there is imminent risk to public health.
- Remedial Action Notices
- Detention and Seizure
- Issue Cautions
- Prosecutions
We have an enforcement policy so that we can deliver an effective and fair service and ensure consistent and open enforcement. Click on the document below to view the Environmental Services Enforcement Policy
Environmental Services Enforcement Policy
Any complaints regarding our service should be made to the relevant office above or via Council’s Complaints Procedure.
You may contact a member of the Food Team at your local Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Council office at: