Concern over food hygiene checks on Isle of Wight
It's feared not enough inspections are being carried out
Not enough food hygiene inspections are being carried out on the Isle of Wight.
It has been revealed that 247 food serving, making or selling premises are currently uninspected on the Island.
The issue has been highlighted by the internal auditor of the Isle of Wight Council, who said the authority is not fully meeting the requirements of the Food Standards Agency (FSA) regarding the frequency of inspecting food establishments.
The FSA has, however, said it is assured by the council’s service and its plans to carry on.
The food safety body specifies how long there should be between inspections — ranging from six months to every three years — based on their risk rating.
In a report to the audit and governance committee today (Monday), auditors said while the council is complying with requirements for ‘high-risk’ premises, it was not in other categories and has not inspected all of the properties it was due to.
Speaking at the committee’s meeting today, Elizabeth Goodwin, the council’s chief internal auditor, said the FSA was ‘pretty comfortable’ with the council’s approach, prioritising the high-risk places.
Cllr Vanessa Churchman said she was seriously concerned about the backlog situation, as the Island has an economy made from tourism and the negative publicity of a food poisoning story would not be favourable.
There is a robust action plan in place to rectify it moving forward, Ms Goodwin said, but like other areas, there was a struggle to appoint qualified officers.
In the audit report, it is said the FSA was assured by the comprehensive service plan in place to distribute resources effectively.
Cllr Gary Peace said it was an item of concern when he was in the previous Conservative cabinet so he understood the pressures but would like to know whether the action plans are progressing.
Current cabinet member in charge, Cllr Karen Lucioni said the team was affected by multiple factors, including the Covid pandemic — when people and money into the service were diverted away from it — but there are now more officers in training to help catch up with the lower-rated categories.