Food Safety Inspections

Food Safety Inspections and Awards
The Food Safety service at Great Yarmouth Borough Council is currently reviewing its Star Award Scheme and has decided that whilst this review takes place, we will suspend the current Star Award Scheme.

If you have any comments you would like to give to the team during this time, please contact Environmental Health on the number to the right.

Inspection
All food businesses are subject to routine inspections, the frequency of which is decided on a risk rated basis. During an inspection the premises are checked against food safety regulations and given good practice advice.

Complaints
From time to time the Environmental Health team receives complaints either about a food business or some food that was purchased which contained something it shouldn't have. We may also receive complaints about food poisoning.

If you wish to make a complaint please contact the Environmental Health team using the contact details to the right of this page.

Sampling
From time to time Officers within the Environmental Health team sample food and drink within the Borough to ensure it is safe to eat

Enforcement

On finding a breach in law an Officer will decide on what action to take. Any decision will be made taking into account the nature and seriousness of the breach, any harm caused by the breach and previous compliance history of the business.

In addition to this the Environmental Health department enforcement policy must be considered before any actions is taken.

Action can take the form of informal, where the nature of the breach, timescales, legal requirements and recommendations are written down on a visit report sheet and/or in a letter.

Improvement notices can also be served for more serious breaches, or ongoing breaches, where informal action has failed to secure compliance. These Notices are legal documents and you could be taken to court if a Notice is not complied with. You do however have a right to appeal a Notice and these rights are enclosed with any Notice served.

Prohibition Notices can also be issued if a serious risk of injury is created. These Notices may close a food business or prevent a certain work activity from taking place.

Prosecution, this action may be appropriate if continued non compliance occurs, or if a breach of legislation is so serious that it is in the public interest to prosecute.

Please contact us should you require any further information, using the contact details at the top of this page

Food Safety Training Courses
Great Yarmouth Borough Council run both Level 2 and Refresher Courses during the course of the year. Dates for 2012 period are:-

REFRESHER 2012	LEVEL 2 DAY COURSE 2012	LEVEL 2 EVENING COURSE 2012
10 April	14 May	2 & 3 April
8 May	9 July	11 & 12 June
13 June	17 September	6 & 7 August
10 July	16 November	15 & 16 October
14 August		10 & 11 December
11 September
9 October
13 November
18 December