Minutes of Food Safety Sub Committee: 15 January 2007
Monday 20 August 2007
Held at Municipal Buildings, Stirling, Scotland.
Present
Craig Brown, South Lanarkshire Council, West of Scotland Liaison Group (Chair)
Leslie Fisher, Stirling Council, East of Scotland Liaison Group
Catherine Reilly, North Ayrshire Council, West of Scotland Liaison Group
Mary Lawton, Scottish Consumer Council (SCC)
Craig Smith, West Lothian Council, Lothian and Borders Liaison Group
James McLennan, Moray Council, North of Scotland Liaison Group
Rod House, Health Protection Scotland (HPS)
Agenda item 1: Apologies
Mark Duncan, Head of Quality, MacPhie of Glenbervie (Scottish Food and Drink Federation)
Andrew Morrison, Food Standards Agency (FSA) Scotland
Jim Dixon, Perth and Kinross Council, Scottish Food and Enforcement Liaison Committee
Agenda item 2: Minutes of previous meeting
These were agreed as being a true record of the meeting.
Agenda item 3: Matters arising
Craig Brown confirmed that primary production training had now been organised.
Regarding alternative enforcement strategies, Leslie undertook to circulate to the members (via Craig) information which had been provided to him from East of Scotland Liaison Group.
Regarding electronic reporting to Fiscal, it was confirmed that all of the offences are now with SCRO but that some charge codes for food hygiene offences will not be entered until such time as a case is taken.
4. Feedback from Scottish Food Enforcement Liaison Committee (SFELC)
Craig Brown advised that the last meeting was held on 1 December 2006. The draft minutes are available at present.
Office Bearers changes. Ian Robertson stood down as Chair and new Chair is George Fairgrieve. New Vice Chair is Craig Brown. Jim Dixon remains as Secretary.
Jim Thompson of FSA suggested that there should be some input from Scottish Food Advisory Committee (SFAC) to the group and it was agreed to invite them to be members and to send a representative.
The inspection report review was well received. This will hopefully be approved at the February meeting following some further consultation with the Federation of Master Bakers and the 'Scores on The Doors' Committee.
The trigger value for secondary inspection report was accepted this will now go out to Lead Officers as a recommendation of good practice.
Various presentations were made by the FSA on CLAE (Changes to Local Authority Enforcement) also a presentation on the National Control Plan and how the UK is going to implement its food hygiene obligations.
FSA training available over the first quarter of 2007 will include investigation of food borne disease, food labelling and dairy establishments.
The FSA proposes to have a 'deemed to satisfy' document to enable local authorities to meet auditing requirements. It was agreed that it was best to use the SFELC Sub Committee network to progress this area of work.
Agenda item 5: Feedback from Food Liaison Groups
East of Scotland Liaison Group
Discussed, possible impact of the proposed changes to the monitoring system for local authorities in particular how the new matrix will work, training of food safety officers – further to previous discussions as to a possible template for agreeing the level of training necessary and who provides it, it was agreed that Frank Feechan would compose a letter on this subject directly to SFELC.
Further discussion took place on how local authorities provide 10 hours Continuing Professional Development (CPD) requirement. Craig Brown suggested that this could be an area that the Sub Committee could look at for good practice. Rod advised that each liaison group previously prepared a training package for a subject. Craig to speak to Jim Dixon to see if East of Scotland liaison group will raise this a SFELC if not he will raise the matter directly himself.
Lothian and Borders Liaison Group
Last meeting was in November, will meet again next week to review policies and procedures. Items previously discussed were problems with Polish foodstuffs in Polish delicatessens, approved premises group to be set up.
North of Scotland Liaison Group
Following Specified Risk Material (SRM) visits, are having problems with butchers not filling documentation correctly, there is also a Polish issue in members areas and a perceived need for advisory leaflets in Polish, food law update on food standards to be run by the group also a course on cheese making, approval forms to be drawn up based on Local Authorities Coordinators of Regulatory Services (LACORS) documents.
West of Scotland Liaison Group
Have discussed code of practice issues, had asked for the table of changes from FSA, but were directed to the English website, Eat Safe. Some members thought new training criteria was over onerous, discussion regarding SRM. Butchers who are authorised but don't undertake the process regularly may not have all the facilities in place, there is no procedure for butcher to surrender authorisation it was suggested that butchers should write to their local authority who would then advise the FSA, have been looking at sharing forms and resources have circulated some to members. Change of manager at laboratory noted – now Garry Walker.
Agenda item 6: HPS update
The food surveillance system project is now live in Northern Ireland.
The weekly report is now electronic – persons wishing a copy now need only sign up on the website.
Are looking at revisiting the E. coli task force report which came out four years ago, have to establish if controls are effective and are they being applied as the number of reported cases is rising.
Agenda item 7: SCC update
Food Hygiene Report is going to the Council at the end of January regarding the knowledge of S1 and S2 children, the use of language is being studied for example the understanding of terms such as piping hot. The previous study in 2000 showed similar results regarding understanding of food hygiene terms.
Study as to why some children do not eat school lunches, three schools selected, one in Granton on Spey, Stirling High School and one in Shawlands which includes ethnic pupils.
Scottish Diet Action Review – those present gave their views.
Food Hygiene Information Pilot Scheme – has been some major interest, such as the recent front page of the Herald that 'named and shamed' those in the improvement required category.
FSA incident task force – Mary has to check that this has sufficient Scottish input.
A study is being undertaken to look at the microbiological quality and tainting in water coolers.
Agenda item 8: Industry update
No current issues.
Agenda item 9: HACCP working group
As this has been disbanded it was agreed to remove this from future agendas.
Agenda item 10: New and amended legislation and Code of Practice
Some discussion issued regarding the CLAE seminar. Craig Brown felt that the meeting went well with good feedback from local authorities, remains to see what reviews and consultations will follow.
Agenda item 11: Current consultations
None.
Agenda item 12: Court cases back from member
No current court cases.
Agenda item 13: Correspondence
No correspondence received.
Agenda item 14: Matters for referral to SFELC
CPD training requirement to be sent to SFELC for discussion.
Deemed to satisfy proposal that the SFELC network is used.
Agenda item 15: Matters for referral back to Food Liaison Groups
Make liaison groups aware of possible future request for CPD training package.
Agenda item 16: Any other closing business
None.
Agenda item 17: Date of next meeting
The dates of the future meetings were agreed to be 26 March 2007, 14 May 2007, 27 August 2007 and 5 November 2007.