The food safety function of the council is managed by the Commercial Team within Environmental Services. The Senior Environmental Health Officer is also designated as the Lead Food Officer. The three Environmental Health Officers are allocated districts for new business advice and initial inspections together with any complaints received. Routine inspections are divided amongst the team to ensure that officers do not repeatedly inspect the same businesses.
Despite the UK's withdrawal from the EEC in 2020, much of the legislation surrounding food safety has remained linked to the legislation in place at the time of withdrawal. Therefore, food inspections and actions will refer to Assimilated Regulations (EC) 178/2002, 852/2004 and 853/2004. Businesses should therefore not see a change in the way that food inspections are undertaken or reported on.
The Food Standards Agency (FSA) requires that the food service publish a Service Plan It is written in a format prescribed by the FSA, its purpose being to demonstrate that East Cambridgeshire District Council has in place adequate and effective arrangements to meet its statutory obligations in respect of food safety.
The FSA recognised the impact that the Covid-19 pandemic had on food business operations and officer workload. The food safety service is in a good position to fully revert to the pre-Covid model for the programme of food hygiene inspections, following the requirements of the food law code of practice.
View the food and safety service plan 2021 to 2024 (PDF)
The council's commercial team are responsible for:
- enforcing food safety legislation in around 880 premises
- registering new food businesses and maintaining a current register of food businesses
- approving establishments that require approval and ensuring these are listed on the FSA website
- following up complaints about food sold or manufactured and concerns about food hygiene in the district
- taking samples of food, water and the environment for microbiological examination and chemical analysis
- providing advice to the council's Markets Team and to Event Managers
We work closely with food businesses to make sure they operate safely by following food safety legislation and hygiene standards.
If you are a business within East Cambridgeshire, and would like more advice, please email the team at foodandsafety@eastcambs.gov.uk, or call 01353 665555.