Opposition to 'weakening' of food safety rules

MEP Horst Schnellhardt has suggested a compromise amendment allowing a business employing less than ten people to be exempt from keeping HACCP (Hazard Analysis of Critical Control Points) records, provided this was approved at a local level by the competent authority.

However, the Chartered Institute of Environmental Health (CIEH), along with the British Retail Consortium (BRC) and the Food and Drink Federation (FDF), oppose such an exemption, arguing that often it was businesses with fewer than ten people that were responsible for food poisoning outbreaks.

CIEH principal policy officer Jenny Morris said: "We believe that if implemented the amendment would in fact weaken existing rules on food safety and increase the difficulties faced by the competent authority and its officers.

"If implemented the amendment would undermine the very successful work carried out to maintain and improve food safety standards in small businesses."