Involvement of the Trading Standards Officer in implementing the UK Food Safety Bill

Abstract

The Food Safety Bill for the first time specifically isolates those consumer protection matters generally enforced by Trading Standards Officers and emphasizes the development over many years of the comprehensive service which controls the supply of foodstuffs from production to supermarket shelf. The Act will introduce the European Food Control Directive requiring detailed programmes laying down the nature and frequency of inspections to trade premises. The Directive emphasizes the increasing role of quality assurance in consumer law enforcement, and the earlier development of EC law in matters such as metrology has equipped the Trading Standards Officer with the expertise now required by the Food Control Directive. The need for European co-ordination and adequate early warning is emphasized and the National Information Service developed in the UK and now adopted by several member states is seen as an important initiative which can be developed into a community-wide communications link. The implications for other enforcement agencies in the UK and the current proposals in respect of analytical and testing support are considered.