Food Alerts
What are food alerts?
The Food Standards Agency issues 'Food Alerts'. The most recent alerts are available on our main food page
Food Alerts are a means of notifying the public and food authorities to serious problems concerning food, where it does not meet food safety standards.
Food Alerts are sent to Food Authorities electronically, this will be to East Staffordshire Borough Council for food safety issues and Staffordshire County Council Trading Standards for quality and compositional issues or both as appropriate. Enforcing bodies liaise where there are issues that require a co-ordinated local, county or national approach.
What are the different types of food alerts?
Food Alerts are issued under two categories:
- Food Alerts: for Action
- Food Alerts: for Information
Food Alerts are also copied to Consultants in Communicable Disease Control at the Health Protection Agency and food trade organisations, to alert them to current food issues.
Food Alerts are often issued by the Food Standards Agency in conjunction with a product withdrawal or recall by a manufacturer, retailer or distributor after consultation with relevant Local Food Authorities and national co-ordination bodies.
How will we respond to food alerts?
East Staffordshire Borough Council takes appropriate local action in response to Food Alerts (for which it has responsibilities) by making direct contact with relevant food businesses by telephone, letter, fax or e-mail, by undertaking visits, or by making indirect contact via the local media.
Affected foods will usually be withdrawn from sale or supply through the voluntary co-operation of food businesses. However, the Council may seize or detain the food, if food business proprietors refuse to co-operate with voluntary withdrawal of the product.
The Council also works with other enforcement bodies to ensure that action is effective.
In addition, the Council promptly notifies the Food Standards Agency and all other relevant agencies if any potentially serious incidents that have local or national implications are identified locally via food complaints, food sampling, notifications from General practitioners or manufacturers etc.