Category Archives: Food Standards Agency

FSA – eNews Letter

FSA

The April edition of FSA e-News highlights how the Agency is making it easier than ever to eat safely and eat well in the immediate future, during the Olympics and in the longer term.

With 88 days to go until the start of London 2012, food businesses in the Olympic areas are already ahead of the game in terms of food safety.

The Agency’s Play it Safe campaign, which aims to ensure the safety of the food bought, cooked and eaten during London 2012, kicked off recently with a high profile launch. Stakeholders are being encouraged to spread the campaign messages, and a toolkit and newsletter have been made available to explain how they can get involved.

FSA – French Cheese – Brucellosis Warning

FSA

The Food Standards Agency (FSA) is warning people who may have bought any of three particular brands of reblochon cheese in France to discard them. The French authorities have issued an alert about potential contamination with the bacteria that causes brucellosis.

The cheeses, sold under the brand names of Le Campagnard, Gaston, and Pernet Mugnier Christian, are being recalled in France following the detection of the bacteria Brucella in the unpasteurised milk used to make them.

They were sold from February to April 2012 in 450g packs. The affected cheeses were not supplied to any businesses in the UK. However, the FSA is warning people who may have travelled to France and bought the products there, not to consume them.

If you have already eaten any of these cheeses and feel unwell, you should seek medical attention, and tell your doctor what you have eaten. No other raw milk cheeses, apart from those named, are implicated in this warning.

Brucellosis is a disease that usually affects livestock, including cattle. Infection of humans occurs through contact with infected animals or consuming unpasteurised (raw) milk or dairy products.

Brucellosis in humans is very rare in the UK, with most cases acquired abroad. Symptoms in humans vary. Some people experience no symptoms, or only a mild flu-like illness, while others experience chronic fever, which can recur for several years. Symptoms can occur up to a month after exposure.

 

FSA Guidence on Edible Glitters and Dust

FSA

The Food Standards Agency has developed guidance on edible and non-toxic glitters and dusts. This will help food businesses and consumers to safely use glitters and dusts with food.

The Agency is aware that non-edible cake decorating materials, described as dusts or glitters, are being marketed in ways that could be misleading. These include products only labelled as ‘non-toxic’, without stating they are not to be consumed.

FSA – Olympic Food Safety Campaign Launch

FSA

The Food Standards Agency has launched the Play it Safe campaign, to raise awareness of food safety during the London 2012 Games. The Agency is working with food businesses and food safety enforcement officers to ensure all food sold, cooked and eaten during the Games is safe.

The first strand of the campaign focuses on the Food Safety Squad, the 10 environmental health officers acting as ambassadors for food safety. They represent the hundreds of environmental health officers around the country who are carrying out vital work to keep visitors to the Games safe and healthy.

The campaign highlights the Agency measures being undertaken to minimise the risk of food safety incidents occurring during London 2012. These include a food safety coaching programme for small businesses in Olympic areas that are in need of improvement; funding and training initiatives for local authorities in Olympic areas; and providing extra equipment for sampling and checks on cleaning.

Wales – Report on Protecting Consumers from E.coli O157

Consumer Focus 

For the past two years, Consumer Focus Wales has published a report scrutinising the implementation of the recommendations of the Pennington Inquiry into the E.coli outbreak in 2005 in which 44 schools were affected and a total of 157 people, mostly children, were diagnosed with E.coli O157.

In our second report publish in March 2011, we noted that progress is well advanced.However we identified specific areas where more needed to be done as well as highlighting a number of food safety issues relating to the Food Standards Agency Food Hygiene Rating Scheme (FHRS) and concerns about standards in some premises serving food to vulnerable groups such as children in nurseries and older people in care homes.

This statement is an update a year on about what has been done since our last report and where focus is still needed. I am glad to report there has been continued progress this year towards implementing Professor Pennington`s recommendations, and improving food safety in Wales.

2011 Consumer Focus Report

FSA – Guidance on Setting Up a Food Stall During the Olympics

FSA 

 

The Food Standards Agency is reminding anyone who is considering setting up a stall selling refreshments during the Olympics to plan ahead. To help, the Agency has produced guidance answering the most frequently asked questions.

 

The stall will need to be registered as a food business and, if it is to be situated on a public road or path, a street trading licence will also need to be obtained from the local authority. Anyone not following these procedures may face tough enforcement action.

 

UK – Staffordshire Closed Till Easter – 18 Cases E.coli O157

BBC News 

A Staffordshire primary school which was closed because of an E. coli outbreak is expected to remain shut until after Easter.

The closure followed 18 confirmed cases of E. coli O157 at Friarswood Primary School in Newcastle-under-Lyme.

Year 4, 5 and 6 pupils will be taught in a nearby college while a thorough deep cleaning is carried out.

The Health Protection Agency is still trying to find the source of the bacteria, which often causes diarrhoea.

Views Sought on Using Lactic Acid on Beef Carcasses – FSA

FSA

The Food Standards Agency is asking businesses to provide their views on the use of lactic acid to reduce microbiological surface contamination on beef carcasses, proposed in a draft EU regulation.

The FSA has already consulted widely to inform the UK voting position on the EU draft regulation, and would like to consult further in order to assess the likely impact on UK businesses. If authorised, the use of lactic acid on beef carcasses would be permissive rather than mandatory. A vote on the Commission regulation is expected in spring 2012.

Businesses in England, Wales, Northern Ireland and Scotland are asked to submit their views, for instance whether they would use lactic acid if approved, what the cost might be, and whether staff would require additional training in the process.

UK – Warning – Bogus FSA Calls to Businesses

FSA 

The Food Standards Agency is warning food businesses to be on their guard following a recent spate of bogus phone calls from someone claiming to be employed by the FSA.

The Agency has been alerted to a number of incidents involving pub chains in Kensington, Chelsea, Westminster and Lincolnshire that have been contacted by someone claiming to be from the FSA. The caller says an environmental health officer (EHO) will make a visit in the next fortnight to update the pub’s manager on new food legislation and asks for their mobile phone number. They then say they will text the manager within 48 hours of the visit to confirm arrangements.

Visits to food businesses are arranged by local authorities, not the FSA, and most hygiene inspections are unannounced, with EHOs introducing themselves once they arrive at the business.

FSA – Review of the Food Safety (Sampling & Qualifications) Regulations 1990

FSA

To review and update national legislation on the Food Safety (Sampling & Qualification) Regulations 1990. The primary aim will be to ensure that qualifications listed for food/public analysts and food examiners are up to date and to remove/amend obsolete provisions found within the Regulations.

All comments and reviews to be sent to:

Bhavna Parmar

SMLP Branch, ARD
Food Standards Agency
1st floor Aviation House
125 Kingsway
London
WC2B 6NH

Tel: 0207 276 8307
Fax: 0207 276 8289
E-mail: bhavna.parmar@foodstandards.gsi.gov.uk

Responses are requested by: Monday 4 June 2012