The council carries out programmed inspections and sampling throughout the food chain, from farm through to manufacturers, wholesalers and retailers. We aim to ensure that various aspects of food comply with legal requirements. These are:
- Composition
- Quality
- Labelling
- Advertising
- Presentation.
The checks we perform ensure that:
- Consumers know what they are buying
- Labels are truthful
- Food products comply with legal minimum standards, where appropriate
- Additives included in food products are within the permitted limits
- Materials and articles in contact with food are safe.
Our latest guidance notes for food businesses are available to download:
A guide for producers, processors and packers of organic products:
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Advice for caterers on food allergens and intolerance:
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Price marking of goods for retail sale:
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Sandwich labelling:
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Colours in restaurant and take away food:
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Food labelling - date and lot marking of packaged food:
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Food labelling for bakers:
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Food labelling for fishmongers:
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Food labelling for grocers:
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Food Safety Act 1990:
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Genetically modified foods - commonly asked questions:
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Genetically modified foods - a guide for caterers:
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Labelling for caterers:
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Labelling of packaged foods:
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Nuts and the food business:
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Please note: The above documents are in Portable Document Format (PDF). You will need a suitable reader to view them. A reader can be downloaded free from the Adobe website (full instructions for downloading the reader are provided on the site).
Food alerts
The Food Standards Agency (FSA) takes action to remove hazardous or unsatisfactory food from the food chain. The Food Standards Agency website provides information about this action. It also gives information about action taken by councils and the food industry.
The FSA operates a food hazard warning system. This alerts councils to any problems associated with food. Food alerts are often issued along with a product withdrawal or recall by a manufacturer or retailer.
Food standards inspections
The trading standards food team carries out planned inspections for food standards. The inspections are to check that legal requirements are being met. They cover:
- Food quality
- Food composition
- Food labelling
- Food presentation
- Advertising of food
- Materials or articles in contact with food.
We carry out inspections under the Food Safety Act 1990. The inspections are in line with an official code of practice on food standards inspections and other national guidance.
Each food premise is risk assessed under a national scheme. They are rated as high, medium or low risk. This determines how often inspections are carried out:
- High risk - inspected at least once a year
- Medium risk - inspected at least every two years
- Low risk - inspected at least every five years.
These notes are for guidance only - for more information please contact:
North Lincolnshire Council
Trading Standards
PO Box 42
Church Square House
Scunthorpe
DN15 6XQ.
Tel: 01724 297664
Fax: 01724 297895
Email: trading.standards@northlincs.gov.uk.