Plan adopted to ensure Northumberland's food safety standards remain high

There are 3,894 food premises in Northumberland which are subject to food safety and food standards regulation and are inspected at intervals based on the risk category of the premises.

The percentage of food businesses in the county with a food hygiene rating of satisfactory to very good (three to five stars) is 98.6 per cent, which continues to compare favourably with both the national average of 96.9 per cent and regional average of 98.1 per cent.

In addition, there are more than 1,700 businesses – mainly farm premises – which are also subject to inspection to ensure hygiene, storage and labelling requirements are met.

The new Food & Feed, Safety & Standards Service Plan 2023/24 sets out the programme of work for the year ahead. It outlines the inspection programme, targets, enforcement actions and how staffing resources will be deployed so they have the most impact. It also reflects on the achievements of the previous year.

Coun Gordon Stewart, cabinet member for looking after our communities, said: “Our public protection team work very hard so we can have confidence in a high level of food safety and hygiene when it comes to food.

“This service plan is produced on an annual basis to show a transparent, fair and equitable process for all businesses involved while we deliver this important service.”

All aspects of a food business are inspected, including how food is stored, prepared, produced and served.