Recognising efforts of local authorities to help ensure food is safe during the COVID-19 pandemic

摘要

At its business committee meeting last week, the Food Standards Agency (FSA) Board discussed local authority performance in light of the unprecedented challenges COVID-19 has created for them in delivering their statutory food functions. The Board considered two recent snapshot surveys carried out in August and October which shows a system under strain, though the Board was reassured to note that 90% of the 57 local authorities surveyed in the most recent survey reported that they were coping. The FSA reports that, Emily Miles, Chief Executive has written to all local authority Chief Executives urging them to ensure that sufficient resources are allocated to deliver the high priority food law controls and activities, and that they continue to protect these resources. The FSA says it has adjusted its expectations of local authorities this year, recognising that food businesses categorised as lower risk could have their planned inspection delayed where local authority resources have been diverted to respond to the pandemic; and asking that local authorities continue with the high priority activities detailed in the FSA advice. While she said this could be tolerated for a few months more, she described the current situation as being ‘at the edge of the FSA’s risk appetite’ and emphasised that local authorities needed to meet these minimum obligations. Where LAs could not, she said that the FSA planned to follow up with them individually to see what else could be done to assist.