We advise on all aspects of food hygiene and health and safety regulations
Enforcement Liaison and Legal Assistance
The Food Safety Act 1990 and the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 provide the frameworks for food hygiene and health and safety legislation in the United Kingdom.
New sentencing guidelines were issued in February 2016 which have substantially increased fines for breaches of food hygiene legislation. There is no longer a £20,000 maximum fine for offences tried in a Magistrates Court.
About our legal support
Our environmental health consultants are fully conversant with these regulations and the EU regulations that they have implemented. They have extensive enforcement experience so recognise situations when EHOs will and won’t take legal action. They can liaise confidently with EHOs or challenge their decisions if required.
Here are just a few of the ways that we can support you: –
- Examining EHO reports and enforcement notices and interpreting requirements into practical advice if necessary or alerting you to signs that formal enforcement action is likely to be taken
- Advising on appeals if you feel that an enforcement notice has been unfairly or incorrectly served or if you have received a lower food hygiene rating than you deserved
- Attending meetings with enforcement officers if communications between the two parties have become difficult or have broken down
- Providing mitigation statements prior to interviews under caution so that you can effectively demonstrate your due diligence defence
- Examining evidence and providing reports to your solicitor on whether the enforcement officer has acted correctly or there is adequate proof that an offence has been committed
