LONDON FOOD COORDINATING GROUP
MINUTES OF THE LONDON FOOD COORDINATING GROUP MEETING
Thursday 18th October 2012 at 10.00 am
Walbrook Wharf City of London
78-83 Upper Thames Street
London EC4R 3TD
PresentPeter Scott / (PS) / LB Havering / Chair – LFCG
Chris Carabine / (CJC) / LB Barnet / For NW Sector
Helen Clark / (HC) / LB Wandsworth / For SW Sector
Earl Legister / (EL) / LB Southwark / For SE Sector
Janine Avery / (JA) / ALEHM / Secretary
Duncan Arthur / (DA) / Public Analyst / Eurofins
Alan Noonan / (AN) / FSA / Olympics Project Team
Dr Nicola Elviss / (NE) / HPA / Head of Unit (FWEM)
Peter Brett / (PB) / City of London Corporation
Peter Kemp / (PK) / Minute Taker
1. Apologies
Apologies have been received from David Tolley (NE Sector / LB of Tower Hamlets and Tay Potier (London Regional Policy Officer). PS told the meeting that David had recently been promoted and his new duties may require he step down as the NE Sector Coordinator. A replacement will therefore be required.
PK said that he had been in contact with Tay and he very pleased to tell the meeting that baby Uma was born on the 4th October 2012 at St Thomas’ Hospital weighting at 7lbs 6oz. Mother and baby were doing well and Tay had said that the baby was very cute and they were all having fun. The meeting asked PK to pass on its congratulations to Tay and her family.
2. Outstanding Action Points from LFCG Meeting held on 21st August 2012
The Action Monitoring Sheet was reviewed. The following matters not already covered on the Agenda were updated:
Item 2 – Issues From the Sectors Service of an EHPN and Seizure of Food relating to the use of vacuum packing machines PS had again circulated the details of this case to the Sectors. PS is to speak with the Kent Food Liaison Group who are also dealing with a similar incident. There are thoughts that a change to the definition of what comprises a “complex machine” may be required.
Item 3 – Olympics (Part 1) (AN Update) Procedure for claiming the second stage grant payment from the FSA AN reported that a number of emails covering this matter had been circulated and LA’s had originally been asked to submit an Excel spreadsheet with details. Now LA’s are just need to submit a bullet-point summary on Annex D and E sheets and a letter from the Director where contractors were employed to carry out any work. The same Purchase Order as used to claim the Stage 1 payment should be used. The claims need to be submitted by a week on Friday and payment can usually be made within a week. The Excel spreadsheet is for FSA internal use only.
All To Note
Completed Annex Sheets D and E required by a week on Friday – 26th October 2012
Item 4 – Official Controls Review Timescale for the Review Teams Project “C” and “D” due to be circulated to LA’s These questionnaires had now been circulated by the FSA but some attendees at the meeting said they had not seen them. Those that had said they were 37 pages long and very cumbersome to use.
All To Note
AN to email a further copy of the Questionnaire to PK for circulation
AN to seek an extension to the closing date for return to the FSA
Item 5 – Changes to the PACE Codes of Practice PS said he contacted the FSA and eventually received a reply which indicated the PACE changes did not apply to LA’s.
Item 6 – Lack of a Central Register for food hygiene convictions PS confirmed that the information received from EL had been circulated. It was still surprising that the FSA did not seem willing to hold this data and AN said he would raise this matter again. A suggestion was made that if food hygiene convictions were posted on a LA’s website, a simple “Google” search might pick them all up.
All To Note
AN to raise this matter again with the FSA and seek further advice concerning the re-establishment of a Central Register of Convictions in respect of food hygiene offences
Item 7 – Sampling 2012 / 2013 NE to draft a report on the work carried out by the HPA in connection with the Olympics / Paralympics for the next meeting of the LFCG to be held on 18th October 2102 A confidential draft of the report had been circulated by NE and the final version was in preparation.
Item 13 – Any Other Business. EL to forward to AN details of the issues concerning the offering of rare burgers in premises in LB of Southwark and the discussions he has had so far with the FBO The FSA’s response had been circulated. Pending the outcome of impending legal proceedings that have been initiated by several LB’s, the current guidance from the FSA remains and should be followed.
3. Approvals Group
PS said that there was a need to discuss whether a paid minute secretary was required for the group and this was an agenda item for later in this meeting. He wondered how wide the circulation of the Agenda and Minutes from the AG meetings was now. They were posted on “Knowledge Hub” which is hosted by Local Government Regulation (LGR) but it was not know what wider circulation occurred.
It was noted that usually no representative from the FSA attended AG meeting although occasionally Rachel did attend. A consequence of this was that inconsistent advice was being received from the FSA when the same query was raised by different LA’s, including in London. PS said that a single point of contact was required and any advice given by the FSA on AG matters needed to be published centrally for LA’s to use as a reference.
There was some strength of feeling in the AG that the FSA’s guidance on Approved Premises was wrong and needed to be changed. AN commented that he thought that there was only one other similar Approvals Group operating (in the North-East?). Perhaps a more formal mechanism was required for seeking the FSA’s advice on Approved Premises and he will raise this with John Barnes (JB).
PS said he would circulate the Minutes of the last AG Meeting and a copy would be forwarded to Kath Lewis (London Region Executive Officer) who in Tay’s absence, will arrange for them to be posted on the London Region website.
All To Note
PS to circulate Minutes of the last Approvals Group Meeting to the LFCG
PS to forward a copy to Kath Lewis for posting on the London Region website
AN to raise with JB the need for a more formal mechanism for seeking guidance on Approved Premises from the FSA
4. Olympics Grant
This Agenda Item dealt with under Item 2
All To Note
5. Official Controls Review Survey
This Agenda Item dealt with under Item 2
AN told the meeting that the FSA had appointed a new Chief Executive, Ms Catherine Brown. She had a background in Animal Health and she took up her post last Tuesday. Tim Smith the previous Chief Executive has taken a job with Tesco’s as its new Director of Regulation! News of this appointment had appeared on the CIEH website.
Surprise and concern was expressed by the meeting at this news as it was thought that the moratorium on senior public servants taking jobs in the private sector within two years of leaving their previous posts would have applied.
It was agreed that JA should discuss this matter with Steve Miller (SM), Chair of ALEHM with a view to ALEHM writing to the FSA Board expressing its concern at this appointment.
All To Note
JA to discuss this matter with SM (ALEHM)
6. HPA (Food Examiner) / Public Analyst (Eurofins)
NE told the meeting that she would be circulating the sampling protocols shortly for the studies to be carried out over the next few months.
Krishna Pathak, the Laboratory Manager had now returned from sick leave
A Laboratory Information Management System (LIMS) was being implemented. It had been successfully linked to UKFSS and validation will be taking place over the next few months prior to approval by UKASS. It will most likely go live early in the New Year LA’s will still receive reports electronically.
On Public Health (England), there was little information to report. Once established NE thought it would take a year to bed down.
Reporting on interesting outbreaks, NE spoke of an outbreak of Salmonella Enteritidis Ph Type 1 where the source was linked to consumption of a protein drink based on egg white. It was also used as an ingredient by bakers. The product was imported from France, via a single distributor. Cases had occurred in Bedfordshire, Bradford and the South-West area. There had also been reports from Austria.
The HPA was also closely following the reports of the recent coronavirus outbreak in the Middle East, which appeared in the press.
NE said she had circulated information on the Dish Washer Study, further information was to follow. She had also circulated details of the Soda Gun Study carried out in the Eastern Region.
NE then spoke on forthcoming sampling studies: Smoothies, which commences in November, examination of any ice content in these products should be included and Extended Shelf-life Sandwiches sold by “99p” type premises. Protocols will be circulated to the Sectors and the Sectors will be asked to indicate back what they intend to carry out.
HC said the SW Sector had discussed and produced a list of possible future sampling projects and this list could be circulated. NE said she would contact the SW Sector’s project lead officers to obtain copies of the necessary protocols and she will then prepare a report giving an overview of the studies to be implemented over the next six months. When these have been agreed, she will circulate to the SW Sector.
DA then addressed the meeting and commenced by saying that just about one-half of the total number of samples allocated under the FSA funded programme had now been submitted for examination. He had circulated information on the numbers he thought LA’s had submitted and asked them to indicate when the remaining allocations would be sent to him. He reminded Sectors that the projects had to be completed by the end of December this year.
Of the samples submitted the usual problems had been identified, labeling and allergens. He was also looking closely at anything containing almonds to see if peanut had been substituted. There was a current backlog of reports and to deal with this another Public Analyst, Nigel Payne, had been appointed by Eurofins, He will need to be formally appointed as a Public Analyst by the LB’s that use Eurofins and DA will send an email concerning this and re-circulate the list of current appointed Public Analysts.
DA would also welcome confirmation from LB’s that sample results are reaching them using the UKFSS. It is understood that there are still some problems being experienced exporting data back to LA’s systems.
PS said he was still waiting to hear if a UKFSS Users Group had been created. AN replied that he could help here as he had spoken with Anne Gravett at the FSA. There were two groups covering Strategy and Reporting and any LA could nominate a representative to attend their meetings, otherwise any feedback or other issues could be raised via the FSA’s Regional Presence Unit. PS said the LFCG should consider nominations to these groups at its next meeting and AN said he would ask Anne Gravett to contact PS to discuss LFCG representation.
PS said that he had arranged for JA, DA and himself to meet briefly after the LFCG meeting to discuss the Olympic sampling programmes
All To Note
NE to circulate protocols of suggested future sampling studies to the Sectors
Sector Coordinators to indicate to NE what they are prepared / able to carry out
HC to circulate the list of possible future sampling studies prepared by the SW Sector
NE to contact the SW Sector’s project lead officers to obtain copies of the necessary protocols
and
NE to prepare a report giving an overview of the studies to be implemented over the next six months.
NE to circulate generally when these have been agreed
DA to remind the Sectors that the current FSA funded sampling projects have to be completed by the end of December this year.
DA to circulate the list of currently appointed PA’s and also remind LA’s that Eurofins new appointment as a PA, Mr Nigel Payne will need to be formally appointed by each LA to act as a PA for their Authority
Sector LA’s using UKFSS to confirm to DA that reports are reaching them using this system
PS to include LFCG nominations to the UKFSS Strategy and Reporting User Groups on the Agenda for the next meeting of the LFCG
AN to speak with Anne Gravett and ask her to contact PS to discuss these nominations
7. Budget for Minute Takers
JA told the meeting that last year ALEHM had reviewed the allocated budget for paid minute taking and following the concerns at the amount this was costing raised by several members, it had cut the available funding. JA said that this year every member of ALEHM had paid the £200 precept for minute taking.
The meeting discussed the merits or otherwise of having formal minute takers and it was generally agreed that where these had been dispensed with and the meeting host had attempted to take the minutes. the dynamic of the meeting often changed, contributions could be stifled when one was trying to record minutes as well as participate. Sectors had met the loss of paid minute takers by various means including asking a willing member of staff to “sit-in” on the meeting to record the minutes or try to host the meeting and take minutes as described earlier.