Minutes of Food Safety Sub Committee: 22 March 2010

Present

Craig Brown - West of Scotland Liaison Group (Chair)
Billy Hamilton - West of Scotland Liaison Group
Frank Feechan - East of Scotland Liaison Group
James McLennan - North of Scotland Liaison Group
Rod House - Health Protection Scotland
Neil Leitch - Food Standards Agency Scotland

Apologies

Mary Lawton - Consumer Focus Scotland
Craig Smith - Lothian & Borders Liaison Group

Minutes of Previous Meeting - 11 January 2010

Item 4.2, second paragraph should read “Andrew Mackie said that arising from the current review of FSA there will be an additional auditors post for the branch, but this has not been filled”.

Matters Arising

Paragraph 5.1
Food Hygiene Information Scheme - Frank Feechan advised that one authority is using risk rating scores only to confirm a pass in terms of the scheme. Billy Hamilton clarified that this matter was raised at the recent FHIS working group meeting and a draft FAQs document clarifies the factors to be considered when assessing whether or not the premises are a “pass” or “improvement required” i.e. in addition to the risk rating scores there must be no recurring minor non-compliances and no outstanding points critical to food safety.

Paragraph 5.2
James McLennan advised that the North of Scotland Group had not yet discussed the mobile traders’ guidance document, but that it would be considered at the next meeting on 8 June 2010.

The last meeting of SFELC took place on 5 February 2010 and the minutes were not yet available for circulation.

Craig Brown reported that the FHIS draft guidance on Annex 5 is now out. This matter has been discussed at the West of Scotland Food Liaison Group and it is considered a useful document although there are still some difficulties in distinguishing between scores.

There was a meeting with the Scottish Regulatory Forum in February and Peter Midgley will provide feedback at the next SFELC meeting.

The Scottish Government were represented by two officials at a presentation on the Food and Drink Policy. It was considered that local authorities are ideally placed to cascade messages on healthier choices to businesses using their existing food standards enforcement role.

A representative from the National Food and Drink Policy has been invited to join SFELC.

There was general discussion on the National Food and Drink Policy and it was agreed that Environmental Health enforcement staff should show a willingness to become involved. Frank Feechan said that nutrition should be a food standards priority.

Craig Brown reported back to SFELC on an inspection methodology as agreed at the last meeting. Craig Brown confirmed that there is good literature available, but that this needs to be reviewed and there are limited resources within the Food Safety Sub Committee to take this project forward. It was suggested that the FSA should develop a methodology guide for inspection, and Peter Midgley suggested that this may link to an outcome of the Public Inquiry Report into the Welsh Ecoli O157 outbreak.

The feedback on the liaison group priorities arising from the workshop event on 18 November 2009 were discussed and the Food Safety Sub Committee were tasked to investigate an issue raised by the North of Scotland Liaison Group and the Lothian and Borders Liaison Group regarding improvements to communications with small business. James McLennan advised that the North of Scotland Group consider that there is a gap in food hygiene messages, particularly relating to HACCP in the small business sector, especially those that are not part of Trade Associations. Craig Brown said that there is good information on the FSA website, but questioned whether or not campaign messages get through to these groups. Billy Hamilton suggested that a targeted co-ordinated campaign involving local authorities and the FSA could be looked at. Rod House suggested links with the Scottish Government who have direct contact with small to medium business enterprises.

Resources for food safety enforcement service are to be discussed at the next SFELC meeting on 8 April. Issues such as cost versus quality, consistency, remote working, mobile working, joint working and other new local authority working arrangements will be discussed.

East of Scotland Liaison Group

• Frank Feechan said that Stirling Council are currently investigating an issue involving edible oil with
  botulinium risk.
• At the last meeting Andy Morrison advised the group that the interventions approach introduced by Aberdeenshire Council has led to an improvement in performance. Frank Feechan requested feedback on this issue.

Lothian and Borders Liaison Group

• No report.

North of Scotland Liaison Group

• The last meeting was held on Tuesday 16 March 2010. Matters discussed included competency to approve and inspect approved premises. The need for new approval application following change of ownership was discussed and the FSA advised that there is a legal case ongoing which should clarify this issue.
• Aberdeen City is arranging translation of standard paragraphs into Cantonese, Urdu and Bengali.
• Codex Guidance CAC/GL69-2008 is being used for validation and verification of cleaning systems in connection with dual use vacuum packers. The group are considering a swabbing/sampling exercise of butchers’ shops.
• The FHIS Scheme has been launched in Aberdeenshire. The group agreed to share monitoring/internal audit procedures with a view to the forthcoming FSA audit.

West of Scotland Liaison Group

• Billy Hamilton advised that Jacqui McIllheny gave a presentation on the FSS and data can now be exported from the FSS system to local authority systems free of charge.
• There was a presentation by John Waddell on the new HPA Guidelines.

FSA Update

Neil Leitch discussed the new FSA structure and advised that shellfish monitoring is moving to another branch.

Craig Brown raised the question regarding the audit programme and requested information on whether all authorities or a percentage of authorities will be approached.

There was broad discussion on the implementation of Article 5 and the LAEMS performance indicator. The question was raised as to how the FSA are going to use the LAEMS data.

Neil Leitch advised that the intervention approach appears to be working in Aberdeenshire and Billy Hamilton stated that Glasgow is moving towards an interventions approach.

HPS Update

Rod House confirmed that FSS are moving towards version 7 and handing over the FSS system to the FSA.

Closer links are being developed within HPS. HPS staff are involved in strategic groups this year, namely Jim McMenamin, 'Environment and Health' and George Morris, ‘Good Places, Better Health’.

Craig Brown asked if food poisoning data would be available from HPS since it is no longer notifiable and will not be reported in the weekly newsletter. Rod House said that John Cowden would provide this information.

CFS Update & Industry Update

No representatives.

Childminders

Craig Brown and Pauline Wilkinson met with Care Commission Childminders Scottish Association and Scottish Government who proposed to provide a modified registration form and guidance sheet for all newly registered childminders, and they will send the information to the local authority. The approach in respect of existing childminders is up to each individual local authority. Discussion at SFELC in November suggested that the target for inspections for childminders handling high risk foods should be 12 months and 3 years for those handling low risk foods only. This group is to report back to SFELC in April. Scottish Childminders Association and Scottish Government have concerns that childminders might avoid food preparation which may affect children’s nutrition. Craig Brown reported that the vast majority of childminders will fall within the low risk category. Craig Brown confirmed that local authorities will not be penalised for not visiting childminders within 28 days.

Approved Premises Working Group

Billy Hamilton confirmed that a meeting was held on Friday 19 March. The scope of the group was discussed and it was agreed that the group would investigate the inspection techniques, consistency of approach and training. The group will look into the feasibility of a modular inspection protocol and a culture change may be necessary if local authorities are to meet FSA expectations following the focused audits in 2009. Frank Feechan said that inspection methodology, planning protocols and so on should be based on audit techniques contained in ISO 9001. This group is to meet quarterly.

FHIS Working Group

Billy Hamilton confirmed that the last meeting was held on 22 March and reports were received from Brian Lawrie and John Bell regarding the launches in South Ayrshire and Aberdeenshire respectively. Scottish Borders will launch in late March and Argyll & Bute will launch on 1 April. The FSA reported on progress with the FSA database. Five authorities are aiming to launch in October/November, namely Glasgow, West Dunbartonshire, Angus, Inverclyde and Midlothian and approximately 50% of authorities will have FHIS in place this year.

CPD Group

No recent meeting.

Fish Hygiene Working Group

James McLennan advised that the last meeting was held on 19 March in Edinburgh. It is proposed to continue to hold meetings in a more central location once a year to accommodate central belt authorities who cannot attend meetings held in Aberdeen.

Three authorities have had issues involving RASFFs in respect of the presence of listeria in ready-to-eat foods. This has highlighted that companies should ensure that they are using the ISO method specified in the Regulations for the presence of listeria monocytogenes.

Argyll & Bute experience problems with toxins in whole scallops resulting in an RASFF positive release appears to be the best solution. Consultation on an SSI dealing with the IUU Regs is due in the next few weeks. The Illegal and Unreported and Unregulated Fisheries Regulations relate to ensuring sustainability of fish stocks. They require third country fish imports to be accompanied by a catch certificate. Local authorities and port health authorities are responsible for checking these certificates. They came into force in January 2010 and there have been some teething problems.

Neil Leitch advised on the co-ordinated approach which is being developed to deal with illegal razor fish harvesting. It is proposed that the FSA will write to all harvesters and processors advising of legal controls. There will be a co-ordinated press campaign and inspection blitz by enforcement officers on all razor harvesters/processors later in
the year.

Neil Leitch also advised of issues regarding the categorisation of fish waste/trimmings destined for manufacture into food products.

New guidance on shelf life of sandwiches has been published by the British Retail Consortium and the Chilled FoodAssociation.

Neil Leitch advised that oxytetracycline was used to treat 4500 bee hives last year following an outbreak of European Foulbrood. There is currently an FSA consultation for food business operators to test for the presence of oxytetracycline in bulk honey from each apiary.

Frank Feechan advised that Dundee are considering referring three cases to the Procurator Fiscal.

There was no correspondence to discuss.

• Request details of FSA audit focus.
• Request details on how the FSA are to interrogate LAEMS data.
• Establish the position of the LAEMS PI (70% broadly compliant and 30% interventions).

Food Safety Sub Committee members should ensure that liaison groups are kept up to date with progress of Working Groups.

Craig Brown advised that the LAEMS data for the year 2008/09 is available in tabular format.

Date of next meeting

The next meeting would be held on 10 May 2010 in Linlithgow.