Southampton City Council

The authority had developed a Food and Health and Safety Service Plan which encompassed imported food and feed requirements. The plan had generally been drawn up in line with Service Planning Guidance in the Framework Agreement.

There were well organised, effective systems and arrangements in place in relation to the control of containerised imported food and feed, including those for high-risk products. The authority had a robust system for the identification of incoming consignments of containerised food and feed through the systematic, detailed checking of every ship’s manifest. Auditors discussed the need for additional liaison arrangements with the importer in relation to the importation of bulk feed. Appropriate facilities and equipment were available for the inspection and sampling of imported food not of animal origin (FNAO) and feed.

The port had an effective electronic consignment control system, which enabled the authority to immediately hold any containerised consignment where further information or an inspection was required.

Imported food and feed controls, including documentary checks, identity checks and random physical checks, were risk based and targeted in accordance with current legislation and officers’ previous knowledge and experience.

In general, appropriate action had been taken on unsatisfactory consignments and where necessary notices had been served requiring appropriate follow-up action on both food and feed consignments. Auditors discussed changes to notices served under Regulation 32 of the Official Feed and Food Controls (England) Regulations 2009 in order to ensure that due legal process was followed in full.

Although records maintained in relation to imported food were detailed and accurate, auditors discussed possible additions to existing record keeping arrangements to clearly demonstrate the sequence of events in relation to the receipt of Common Entry Documents.

There were extensive liaison arrangements with central government, other enforcement bodies, professional organisations and other external stakeholders. The authority was also making significant contributions to European and national training programmes on imported food work. The authority had a variety of activities in place to advise businesses on imported food control requirements.

The authority had a documented quality management system which included internal auditing of the imported food service. Auditors discussed some improvements that could be made to the audit and monitoring procedures, to ensure that all relevant areas of the standard are covered and include the timely reporting of quality action reports to relevant managers through a revised electronic notification system.

The authority had made quarterly imported food returns and had submitted their annual 2009/2010 Local authority Enforcement Monitoring Scheme (LAEMS) return. However, there were some data omissions in relation to unsatisfactory microbiological samples and a prosecution on the annual return.