Food Safety & Standards
Regulation of food production, sale, and safety standards under the Food Safety Act 1990 and EU-retained law.
ਜਾਣ-ਪਛਾਣ
Food safety in England & Wales is regulated by the Food Safety Act 1990, supplemented by extensive secondary legislation and retained EU law. The Food Standards Agency (FSA) is the independent government body responsible for food safety and hygiene. Local authorities enforce food safety through environmental health officers who inspect food businesses and can issue improvement notices, emergency prohibition notices, and prosecute offenders. All food businesses must register with their local authority and implement food safety management systems based on HACCP principles.
ਮੂਲ ਸਿਧਾਂਤ
General Food Safety Requirement — It is an offence to sell food that is injurious to health, unfit for human consumption, or so contaminated it would be unreasonable to eat it (s.7-8 FSA 1990).
Food Hygiene Regulations — EU-retained Regulation 852/2004 requires food businesses to implement HACCP-based food safety management systems.
Food Business Registration — All food businesses must register with the local authority at least 28 days before opening.
Food Standards and Labelling — Food must be accurately described and labelled, including allergen information (Food Information Regulations 2014).
Due Diligence Defence — A person charged with a food safety offence has a defence if they can prove they took all reasonable precautions and exercised all due diligence (s.21 FSA 1990).
Enforcement — Environmental health officers have powers of entry, inspection, sampling, and can issue improvement and prohibition notices.
ਮੁੱਖ ਐਕਟ
Food Safety Act 1990
Food Standards Act 1999
ਆਮ ਸਥਿਤੀਆਂ
Food poisoning from a restaurant
Report to the local authority environmental health team. They will investigate and can prosecute under the Food Safety Act 1990. Civil claim for damages also possible in negligence.
Starting a food business from home
Must register with the local authority, comply with food hygiene regulations, implement HACCP-based procedures, and ensure proper allergen labelling.