Food Safety Targets 50 Highest Risk Premises

Chicken Dish

Restaurants, take-aways and other food premises across Rochdale borough are being targeted to ensure they maintain the highest standards of food hygiene.

Throughout the coming months, Rochdale Council's food safety team will provide special information packs to fifty businesses to explain that they have been identified as being one of the 50 worst premises.

The premises have been identified from the results of previous food safety inspections, considering standards of cleanliness and repair, food handling practices and the way in which the businesses are managed.

The packs contain advice leaflets on what traders need to do to ensure the highest standards. They can also take advantage of a visit before their inspection to point out any concerns.

The 50 premises will each receive a visit from a member of the Food Safety team to explain that they have been identified as high risk. They will be provided with a detailed information pack and also offered an extra advisory visit. This will involve an in-depth look at the way their business is run and will identify areas requiring improvement. This could include cleaning procedures, the condition of equipment, the way in which food is handled and hygiene training for staff.

The aim is to help businesses by raising their awareness of the legislation covering food safety, by providing extra advice and support. However, businesses, which are found to fall short of the minimum standard at their next routine inspection, will face the prospect of legal notices forcing them to improve or prosecution without further warning. The maximum fine under Food Safety Regulations is £5000 for each offence.

Following this, the routine inspection will be carried out. If standards remain poor after the advice visit, legal proceedings could follow. The campaign targeting the fifty businesses is in addition to Food Safety's normal inspection programme, which ensures that all food premises are visited.

Environmental Health Officer, Angela Rawcliffe said "We want to work with local businesses wherever we can to help them serve safe food. The aim of this campaign is to provide the highest risk businesses with extra support so that they know exactly what is required of them and to help them raise their standards. However, those who repeatedly fail to meet the legal minimum will face the threat of legal proceedings."

In a first phase, the food safety advice will be sent to fifty of the high risk food businesses across the borough. However, advice is available to all food outlets to ensure customers get the safest service possible.

Further information Alison Bardsley, Environmental Health Officer, Tel (01706) 864148 or Angela Rawcliffe, Environmental Health Officer, Tel (01706) 864368.