Food safety - premises inspection

The food safety team is responsible for ensuring that all food sold in Doncaster is from a clean premises and is safe to eat.

Local authorities are responsible for enforcing food hygiene laws and can inspect your business at any point in the food production and distribution process.

Inspections

Authorised officers from your local council will visit your premises to check if your business is complying with food law and producing food that is safe to eat. To do this, they will look at:

  • your premises
  • how you work
  • your food safety management system
  • the types of food you make and prepare

Authorised officers may visit your premises for several reasons, including:

  • food hygiene and food standards inspections
  • sampling
  • complaint follow-up
  • advisory visits

They have the right to enter and inspect your premises at any reasonable time. Authorised officers will usually arrive without making an appointment.

How often your business is routinely inspected will depend on the type of business and its previous record. Some premises might be inspected at least every six months, others much less often. Authorised officers will offer help and advice on food safety. They can take action if they find that your standards of food hygiene are not good enough. In serious cases, action might include closing the premises or prosecution.

The FSA has produced Food and Feed Law Codes of Practice and Practice Guidance documents which set out the way that local authorities should work with food businesses.

Further details can be found by using the following link to the FSA website

The following links take you to useful information on: