Food Standards
At Cheshire East Consumer Protection and
Investigations we aim to protect consumers and assist
Cheshire-based businesses by carrying out a variety of food-related
activities. We are responsible for the enforcement of the
Food Safety
Act, and this is a role which is shared with Environmental Health at Cheshire East Council.
Consumer Protection and Investigations has a specific food
standards role to ensure that food is labelled correctly and is in
accordance with compositional requirements, whereas Environmental
Health is concerned with food hygiene.
What do we do?
- We carry out a planned programme of
interventions, such as inspections, of the different types of food
premises that exist in Cheshire East, including bakers, butchers,
grocers, food manufacturers, supermarkets, cafés, restaurants and
public houses. For example, we check compliance with national
standards, examine food menus to check that they are
accurate, and check food labelling and food descriptions.
- We can also take samples of food and drink which
are then tested and analysed. This is done to check, for example,
that the declared nutritional information is correct, that the name
of the food is not misleading or that spirits have not been watered
down or replaced inferior substitutes.
- We react to food safety alerts issued by the
Foods Standards Agency. We work
closely with Cheshire food manufacturers and provide compositional
and labelling advice. We also field enquiries from other local
authorities from around the country about Cheshire East-based
businesses.
- We deal with complaints from the public about
the composition and labelling of foods sold within Cheshire East,
such as where there might be a suggestion that food is not as
described.
- We follow up incidents of food sold past its
use-by date, as this type of food is generally more perishable and
could make people ill if the eaten after the marked date. Foods
labelled with a use-by date must be sold or disposed of before the
end of the marked date. Best before dates however are
advisory and indicate the period up to when the food will be at its
best. It is not an offence to sell food beyond a ‘Best Before’
date, although it is good practice not to.
- The Food Standards Agency has developed a
website with a wealth of material on Food Safety and Food
Standards. As well as reading about the latest food hazard
warnings, you can view other headlining food stories at the
Food Standards Agency website.
Registration of a Food Business
All food businesses must be registered. Please see our pages on
Registration of Food Business.
Contact Information
Please call 01270 685900 for more
information on Food Standards.
Feed Hygiene Enforcement (Animal Feeds)
Cheshire East has a large farming community
and there are a number of mills within the authority producing
animal feeds. Officers from Cheshire East Consumer Protection
and Investigations carry out visits and take samples of feeding
stuffs to ensure they are wholesome and not harmful to either the
animal or the human food chain.
Farmers that mix their own feeds have to register
with the Authority, and routine inspections are made by our Animal
Health team to ensure compliance. The Food Standards Agency has
further advice if you think you may need to register.
Contact Information
Please call 01270 685900 for more
information on Feed Hygiene.
