FSA voices concern about lack of local authority resources for food safety

The Food Standards Agency (FSA) has expressed concern about the ability of local authorities to meet inspection targets and the impact this could have on standards.

Comments were made in written evidence submitted as part of an inquiry looking at whether the local government finance system in England is fit for purpose.

The FSA said it is concerned that local food teams do not have sustainable funding to deliver official controls in line with what the current regulatory regime requires. If checks don’t take place standards at businesses may fall, leading to increased risks to consumers.

“After a long-term decline in numbers, pressure on the local authority workforce of environmental health and trading standards officers continues, with a significant backlog in the number of food businesses awaiting inspection,” according to the FSA.

Factors causing concern
The FSA said there is uncertainty caused by the annual planning cycle. A multi-year budget could enable food teams to formulate plans and address long-term workforce challenges.

FSA analysis found resources are considerably lower than a decade ago, with 9.1 percent fewer food hygiene staff and 32.5 percent fewer food standards officers in post by October 2023 compared to 2012/13 – despite a 5.7 percent rise in the number of businesses in the past decade.

“It is important to note that we have not seen evidence of a corresponding deterioration in food safety over a similar period, but there is a risk this may change, particularly if the current economic climate leads to further pressure on local authority resources and on food businesses themselves. Increasing backlogs of overdue inspections, rising numbers of food business registrations awaiting inspection and increasing need for enforcement action are giving us cause for concern.”

The FSA said funding alone will not solve the problems faced by local authority food teams.

The agency is working on reforms designed to modernize food regulation and allow authorities to make the best use of resources through risk-based and intelligence-led approaches. Food teams do not currently charge for their regulatory work but this is an option being considered.

“Local authority regulatory services require reliable and sustainable funding to recruit and retain staff and invest in their development to deliver their statutory obligations and to be able to respond to incoming intelligence.”

Food hygiene analysis
The number of new outlets awaiting their first inspection has risen to 39,761 for food hygiene and 87,381 for food standards. FSA said it has “significant” concerns around these sites as they have not been inspected, so their level of compliance with food safety requirements is unknown.

There has also been an increase in new food business registrations. For example, there were 42,324 registrations for Q3/Q4 of the last financial year. This rose to 45,325 for Q1/Q2 of 2024/25.

Some aggregators have a requirement for a minimum Food Hygiene Rating Scheme (FHRS) score before they will allow businesses to trade on their platforms. This is driving the demand to carry out re-inspections when firms fail to meet this rating and it increases demand on councils. For example, in the past year 3,547 additional inspections were requested across 178 local authorities.

The FSA analysis estimates there would be 3,700 fewer cases of foodborne illness and a saving of £15.7 million ($19.8 million) based on productivity losses to industry, costs to sufferers and their carers and burden on the NHS if there was a requirement for food hygiene ratings to be displayed in all businesses.

Budget reductions can mean that food teams have to choose how or whether to deliver services such as business advice and support. When provided up front, these services can support companies by helping them avoid costly action in response to regulatory checks later and can create a more positive and efficient relationship between local authorities and businesses. Engaging with businesses as they set up and open maximizes their chances of getting things right from the outset which benefits the consumer by reducing the likelihood of foodborne disease.

The inquiry is ongoing and the next evidence session is likely to take place in March.

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Source: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2025/02/fsa-voices-concern-about-lack-of-local-authority-resources-for-food-safety/