The team responsible for ensuring food quality in Bradford businesses need more experienced staff, or could risk “floundering” – a meeting will be told.
And the pressures of the City of Culture year, which is likely to see numerous new food businesses opening in Bradford, could heap further pressure on the department.
Bradford Council’s food safety team will give an annual update to members of the Authority’s Regeneration and Environment Scrutiny Committee at a meeting tomorrow.
Their report claims the team needs more staff “to meet its statutory function,” and many of the most experienced staff are nearing retirement age.
Bradford has, according to the annual report, over 4,200 food businesses.
These include 132 food manufacturers and packers, 100 supermarkets, 857
restaurants/cafes, 236 schools, and 707 take aways.
These all have to be regularly inspected by the food safety team.
In the past year there have been 12 voluntary closures following inspections, 65 improvement notices issued and four prosecutions launched against food businesses.
But despite this, the number of businesses receiving a five star food hygiene rating has seen an increase in the past year.
In past two years, 60.6 per cent of businesses were awarded five stars, with 95.6 per cent of businesses gaining three or higher.
Last year, 70 per cent of businesses were awarded five stars, with 96.5 per cent gaining three stars or better.
The report says the team has 14.5 full time equivalent officers, which is up from 11 last year. But it also points out that there are currently four vacancies.
It adds: “Less than a third of the existing team have significant experience in food safety enforcement so we are having to invest in training, support and mentorship for the remainder of the team to ensure full competency.
“These experienced staff are also close to retirement age.
“In order that we simply meet our statutory function we should have at least 18 full time staff.
“This does not take into account the extra demands the team is likely to face for UK City of Culture 2025.”
Food Standard Agency guidance says Councils with 350 or more food premises per full time food safety officer is “a stretched LA (local authority).”
Councils with 450 or more food premises per full time food safety officer is “an LA which is likely to flounder and not deliver all the statutory functions.
“There is a national shortage of Environmental Health Officers, so it is extremely difficult to recruit fully qualified staff to Bradford Council.
“The national shortage also makes it difficult to retain staff and they leave for more lucrative terms and conditions.”
