Safeguarding food requires military-style intelligence

摘要

On 1 February 2016, a new Definitive Guideline from the Sentencing Council came into effect in England and Wales. It represents a landmark moment for the food industry. For the first time, individuals (not just organisations) can be held accountable for breaches of food safety and food hygiene regulations. Offenders face custodial sentences of up to two years and unlimited fines. The guidelines focus on actions that cause harm or risk of harm to consumers. So it is possible that in certain circumstances individuals could face imprisonment for failure to implement HACCP principles, particularly if bacterial contamination occurs.