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The Principal's Piece
Lauren Dyer, Health Protection Manager at Chichester District  Council
Welcome to our autumn and final edition for 2019 and I hope you all had a lovely summer.
As you are aware, we are due to leave the European Union on 31 October. With this in mind, and especially if you are a small business trying to get ready for Brexit then I wanted to draw your attention to some of the key pieces of advice and guidance relating to the food industry, which can be found at Brexit. To clarify, whatever your industry, food safety and health & safety law will not change because of Brexit, whatever the scenario.
If you are a business either looking to export goods to the EU or import goods from the EU then these links may be relevant to you. Whichever you are doing it is vitally important that you ensure that you have all of the documentation you need, that it is accurate and that it is readily available when requested, especially by the ports. NB. Incorrect or incomplete paperwork will result in your goods being turned back at the port.
If you are transporting goods commercially from the UK to or through Europe then use this link.
The Health & Safety Executive (HSE) have also produced some practical advice and guidance, ‘health and safety made simple: the basics for your business’ , which will help you to comply with the law. The HSE’s website also includes useful sources of information on a range of topics no matter what industry you are in.
The websites above should carry all of the information that you need however if you do need any help with their interpretation then by all means please contact our team on healthprotection@chichester.gov.uk or 01243 534602.
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Christmas
The festive Christmas period is looming large on the horizon. With it comes the added risk of food poisoning as the 'works do's' and parties increase in numbers as we get nearer to the day. Because of this it would be wrong of us not to drop a gentle reminder that businesses need to be extra careful. The increased pressure and demands placed on staff and budgets can cause problems as can any change in service style and production methods. I have attached the FSA guide for your information, although aimed at the domestic cook it contains advice that all should follow.
Newport case, Snaresbrook case, Southall case
If you are planning a Christmas 'do', don't forget to check the food hygiene ratings.
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 New Training Awarding Body
We have decided to use a new awarding body for our Food Hygiene training, Highfield Awarding Body for Compliance. You may have heard of Highfield as they are a 'global leader in compliance and work-based learning and apprenticeship qualifications'. Highfield are a dedicated training organisation and are able to offer us the latest in training aids, speed of results and quality of certification.
The courses will be run as usual by officers from the Health Protection team, all of whom are qualified food safety officers and trainers. Information on our courses can be found on our website, including information on our team providing bespoke training for your organisation.
Chefs, how do you go about keeping your food safety knowledge up to date? The changes in food safety compliance and best practice are always on the move but we see so few Chefs on our courses. We would love to hear whether you do any on-going training or not and why you choose to do it that way. Is there anything we could offer by way of further training that would meet your needs, perhaps Level 3 or Level 2 refreshers? We are always looking for new ideas to help the food businesses on the district and, if the interest is there, we would consider providing any training that you want and need. If you have any thoughts please contact us via The FoodBites Box.
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Gas Safety
Gas safety is a priority topic area for  health and safety in restaurants and for caterers. To support business Officers will ask to see the latest gas safe inspection certificate at your routine food hygiene inspection as well as making a quick check of the appliances to verify that they are in good working order. Some of the matters that will be checked are:
- The gas safety certificate – this should be less than 12 months old and should cover all gas operated appliances in the business
- That there is a safe method for lighting gas appliances – ideally the appliances has a working fitted electric igniter, but failing this an alternative safe method should be demonstrated
- That the appliances are properly secured – gas appliances should be steady on the floor and fitted with restraining cables against the back wall to prevent the gas hose being pulled too far
- That the “flame fail device” is in working order – this shuts off the gas when the flame goes out
- That the gas burns blue not orange and that the appliances are within the area of the extractor hood.
Some premises will also be contacted as part of the Gas Safety project which is in progress.
If you have any gas safe questions contact us
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Illegal shellfish harvesting
 We have reason to believe there is some illegal shellfish harvesting being undertaken in areas of Chichester Harbour. At the moment the commercial harvesting of shellfish in Chichester Harbour is prohibited.
Chichester Harbour is only classified for commercial harvesting of Oysters and the beds are not opening this year due to low stocks. We believe Clams are being harvested, and as the beds are not classified for Clams which means that no checks on the safety of the Clams is being carried out, this activity is not only illegal but potentially dangerous.
Please can you ensure your supply of shellfish is safe. You should be receiving a label with your order which details who, where, when and what the item is and it should have the approval mark of the processing facility.
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Chichester College Employers Forum
 Chichester College are holding an 'Employers Forum' on Monday 18th November 2019 in Restaurant 64 in Chichester College, Westgate Fields, Chichester, West Sussex. The aim of the evening is to further the collaboration between Chichester College, Trading Standards, Environmental Health and local businesses. The hope is that by bringing together these different players into one forum, we can create a local network that allows businesses to learn and share good practice, discuss local or legislative changes and ultimately, work together to ensure that the hospitality standards across West Sussex are exemplary. Doors open at 17.00 for complimentary refreshments with the event starting at 17.30. Book by e-mail or call Serife on 01243 786321 ext 2572.
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Lunch Clubs/Volunteer run groups 
We come across quite a few lunch clubs and volunteer run clubs in the district. Any such club should have a written food safety management system in place to demonstrate how the food is prepared safely. We appreciate that Safer Food Better Business pack may not always be the most suitable for small clubs and therefore we have created a simplified system that can be easily implemented by the volunteers and others involved in lunch clubs. Contact us if you would like to discuss.
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Sampling
 Have you ever wondered how all those food statistics are used and created?
In conjunction with Public Health England (PHE), the Food Standards Agency (FSA), Local Authorities and local Food Water and Environmental Microbiology laboratories, sampling study programmes are rolled out to investigate whether the food poisoning statistics from reported illness and the causes reported are typical of the actual situation in food businesses.
To do this the Health Protection team at Chichester District Council carry out these programmes, usually a couple a year, to obtain microbiological data on all manner of issues. The protocols are designed to gather useful data by specifying and focusing on specific areas such as type of business, type of process, consumer groups, packaging, equipment and obviously specific food groups.
Officers from the Health Protection team will usually arrive unannounced and request samples of food, items such as cloths and take swab samples from surfaces depending on the sampling study taking place. These are then sent to the lab for testing and the results are then shared with the business where they were taken from. Any issues resulting can then be addressed to protect the publics health. The results are used to help decide national priorities, the direction of legislation and subjects for advice and education.
We appreciate that the samples collected come at a cost to business and we would like to thank the businesses that allow us to collect them without payment.
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Flying Insects
If 2018 was the year for flies then 2019 is the year for wasps.
Flying insects can be a real problem for food businesses and can lead to unsafe food and negative customer perception. The legislation requires that food premises should 'permit good food hygiene practices, including protection against contamination and, in particular, pest control' and that 'Adequate procedures are in place to control pests'. So what should you do?
Prevention is best, which in practice would mean ensuring your premises are pest proof. Gaps, holes and any access points should be sealed or pest proofed. Attraction and harbourage should be minimised so keep the garden and surrounding areas free from rubbish and scrub, keep lids on bins and manage your waste effectively.
Food that is on display in shop fronts and in restaurants can be difficult to protect against pests as they come in with your customers. If they are appearing then covering the food where it is needs to be considered as any contact with flying pests results in potential contamination and puts customers off.
We had a case last year where flies had laid eggs on food and with a run of circumstance and poor stock control, consequently maggots were found in the food on sale which resulted in a prosecution.
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In the news
Ciguatera fish poisoning becoming more common in Europe
Restaurant receives HEPN after customer’s allergic reaction
Listeria outbreak in hospitals
Food allergen labelling changes become law
Local poaching news!
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FoodBites box
 We are hoping to facilitate demonstrations, forums and networking opportunities around the district. If you have any suggestions for future events or issues that you would like covered please reply to FoodBites Box
We may not be able to reply to your suggestions but we will try and include them wherever possible.
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 Food Hygiene Rating Scheme
FHRS
Numbers of businesses in each rating at 17th September 2019
| Rating |
0 |
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
All |
| Totals |
2 |
14 |
20 |
34 |
153 |
1041 |
1264 |
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Training courses
The Health Protection Team deliver several food safety courses. Our next Level 2 Food Hygiene course is running on 16th October 2019.
Find out more information including course dates and times.
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Eat Out Eat Well 
For details on applying for the award check out our website and Eat Out Eat Well in Sussex
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