Food Safety – Everyone’s Business

Today is the first ever World Food Safety Day and to celebrate Fylde Council is highlighting the work of its food safety team in helping to remove food that is unsafe from sale.

While problems are rare, there are several reasons why food might need to be recalled. For example, if the allergen information on a label is inaccurate, or if there are concerns around food poisoning bacteria such as salmonella.

If there is a recall the team at Fylde will work with the food businesses and the Food Standards Agency (FSA) to make sure the product is removed from the shelves and recalled. A recall is when unsafe food is removed from the supply chain and consumers are advised to take appropriate action, for example, to return or dispose of the unsafe food.

Cllr Ben Aitken, Chair of the Environment, Health and Housing Committee at Fylde Council, said: “We’re very proud to be supporting World Food Safety Day. One of the key ways we help ensure food is safe in Fylde is by making sure businesses recall food products that may be unsafe.

“Today is an opportunity to strengthen efforts to ensure the food we eat is safe. Food Safety is everyone’s business, whether you produce, process, sell or prepare food, then you have a role in keeping it safe. We would encourage everyone to sign up to the FSA’s food alerts service, to get immediate updates when product recalls and allergy alerts are published.”

Dr Colin Sullivan, Chief Operating Officer at the Food Standards Agency, said: “We are pleased to play our part in making sure people can trust their food, particularly through working with local authorities and food businesses when a recall is required.

“We issued 72 food recalls and 103 allergy alerts in 2018 and we make every effort to make sure we publish our alerts as soon as we can and with information that is both useful and clear. Our advice to people is always based on the best science and evidence available.”

Sign up to the food alerts and allergy alerts, so you can be the first to hear if there is a recall. https://www.food.gov.uk/news-alerts/subscribe

ENDS

Notes to editors:

The Codex Alimentarius Commission develops and adopts food standards that serve as a reference for international food trade.

On 20 December 2018 the United Nations General Assembly adopted resolution 73/250 proclaiming a World Food Safety Day.

This year World Food Safety Day reinforces the call to strengthen commitment to scale up food safety made by the Addis Ababa Conference and the Geneva Forum under the umbrella of “The Future of Food Safety” in 2019.

For more information regarding this statement please contact Erin Coar PR and Communications Officer for Fylde Council on 01253 658499 or email erin.coar@fylde.gov.uk