Risk-based focus for hygiene audits will grow

The biggest changes are likely to be a “differentiation​” in the way the FSA deals with large and small businesses. The FSA intends to take a more risk-based approach, focusing its attention on food businesses that present a bigger food safety risk.

Most controversially, the changes will also transfer more of the costs of regulation onto the food firms.

The FSA is considering using third-party hygiene audits to assess the risk businesses pose.

Firms that consistently prove themselves to reach the highest standards are likely to receive ‘earned recognition’ and ‘lighter touch’ regulation.

Speaking at the 7th Annual Food Safety Conference, organised by the Chartered Institute of Environmental Health in London last month, head of the FSA’s Regulatory and International Unit Alice Biggins, reported on progress with the planned reforms.

FSA fit for purpose​

Although at an early stage, Biggins stressed they were intended to make the FSA fit for purpose in a changing world, rather than being a cost-cutting measure.

However, the financial constraints on the FSA are inevitably playing a part in the changes.

“We want it to be absolutely clear that it is businesses’ responsibility to produce safe food. It’s what it says in the legislation,”​ said Biggins.

“Businesses we have spoken to are very clear that they want a level playing field and bad businesses to be punished. ​

“We are keen to work on the sanctions we have available and to level that playing field and for good businesses to, maybe, see us less.”​

‘Level that playing field’​

Outlining the way a segmented approach to regulation of businesses might work, Biggins said: “If one has an assurance scheme, we might treat them in a different way to one that isn’t minded to have private assurance activity around their business.”​

Under the new regime, bigger food businesses would have a very different, more direct, relationship with the FSA, said Biggins.

“At the moment, we feel that when we are dealing with the behemoths of the food industry, we don’t necessarily have the clout we need to deal with them properly and we would like to see a lot more of the data they collect about themselves,”​ she said.

She suggested the FSA could set up dedicated teams for each of the very big businesses, carrying out audits of their systems to find out where the weaknesses might exist and looking at their data. She described it as “a primary authority with teeth, essentially”.​

For smaller businesses, the focus would be on their pre-trading activity, covering registration and educating operators so that they “get it right first time”,​ and with local authorities playing the lead role. The Food Hygiene Rating Scheme would form a key part of this, said Biggins.