Measures in Protection of Freedoms Bill pose threat to food safety inspection: LGA

The Local Government Association has hit out at proposed legislation that would require environmental health and trading standards officers to seek a warrant before carrying out food safety inspections, unless the business owner gives them permission to enter the premises.

The measures, which are contained in the Protection of Freedoms Bill, were proposed and passed in the House of Lords. If the Bill makes its way through the House of Commons, the requirements could become law later in 2012.

The LGA claimed that, under the Bill, “owners of dodgy late-night takeaways and restaurant kitchens responsible for food poisoning outbreaks will be able to stop environmental health officers carrying out on-the-spot hygiene checks”.

The Association warned that the provisions would effectively end on-the-spot-inspections and cause delays “of hours or even days” before hygiene experts could inspect and, if necessary, close down businesses where food safety concerns had been reported

It also suggested that the measures would curb trading standards operations, safety checks and pollution control inspections.

According to Food Standards Agency statistics, local authorities carried out some 557,262 food safety inspections in the UK in 2010/11.

A total of 495 premises were prosecuted for food safety offences, while 915 premises closed voluntarily. A further 176.096 premises were given written warnings.

Cllr Mehboob Khan, Chairman of the LGA’s Safer and Stronger Communities Board, said: “It is vital that when complaints about food poisoning, rat infestations or other safety concerns are made, environmental health teams can investigate and tackle the problem immediately. Putting obstacles in the way of protecting public safety would be ludicrous, unnecessary and a significant threat to people’s health.

“These new curbs could mean a dirty, unhygienic takeaway serving dodgy chicken might inflict food poisoning on hundreds more customers while inspectors spend hours or even days waiting for permission to enter.”

Cllr Khan said existing legislation already provided safeguards to ensure powers of entry were not inappropriately used.

“We are not talking about entering people’s homes here, but monitoring the standard of businesses across the country which collectively serve food to millions of people,” he said. “Government must not allow this crazy clampdown on protecting public safety to pass into law.”