How we ensure food is safe
Officers from the Food and Safety team ensure food safety in several ways:
- Assessing the standard of premises where food is prepared
- Monitoring the processes used to prepare food
- Providing support to food businesses about premises, equipment or processes
- Training and educating food handlers
- Using the law to require food businesses to improve their premises or processes
- Using the law to prohibit food premises or processes used.
Our powers
We have the right to enter and inspect food premises when they are operating.
It is an offence to obstruct an inspector when they are carrying out their duties.
We carry out routine inspections of food premises, generally without prior notification, usually when the business is trading. We prioritise inspections according to the degree of risk posed by the food business, using a national scoring scheme. This ensures that we visit higher risk premises more frequently than those in lower risk categories.
Find out if a local food business has a good hygiene rating from the Food Standards Agency.
Allergen labelling
Food business operators in the retail and catering sector are required to provide allergen information and follow labelling rules as set out in food law.
Food business operators must:
- provide allergen information to the consumer for both prepacked and non-prepacked food and drink
- handle and manage food allergens effectively in food preparation
Find out more on the FSA website.
Trading Standards at Hampshire County Council usually deals with food allergen related matters.
Low risk food businesses
If your food business has previously been inspected by East Hampshire Council and classified as low-risk, you may be asked to complete a self-assessment questionnaire instead of being inspected when it is due.