Researchers from the ZERO2FIVE Food Industry Centre at Cardiff Metropolitan University will be giving out thermometers during the Amgueddfa Cymru Food Festival in Cardiff on Sept. 9.

As part of the “Is your fridge cold enough?” project, 1,000 people will get a free thermometer to take home. They will be asked to upload information about the temperature of their fridge to an online portal. 

Data collection started at another event in August, where 500 thermometers were distributed. Work continues into October, after which data analysis will take place and findings will be prepared as an abstract for presentation at the International Association for Food Protection (IAFP) conference in 2024.

The citizen science project aims to obtain information about the operating temperatures of as many fridges as possible to determine if they are storing food safely. People who take part will be entered into a competition to win one prize of a £100 voucher ($125).

How to take part
Scientists will talk people through what they need to do and there will be a bilingual information sheet as part of the thermometer pack. Participants need to put the thermometer in the fridge door storage area and leave the door closed for at least 15 minutes. Past research has found the door of the refrigerator to be the warmest place in the fridge.

Then they should open the fridge and take a picture of the temperature on the thermometer.

Participants either scan the QR code or visit the web address on the information sheet to upload an image of the temperature displayed. On the portal there are questions regarding demographics, the temperature, and refrigeration practices. The portal to submit temperature information will remain open until October 9.

When a temperature above the recommended 5 degrees C (41 degrees F) is recorded, people are told that having a fridge operating at this level can encourage food poisoning organisms and spoilage bacteria to grow quicker. The portal also tells participants that they can reduce the risk of illness and help prevent food waste by gradually adjusting the dial, so temperature on the thermometer is 5 degrees C or less.

Benefit of citizen science projects
To take part in the project, visit ZERO2FIVE’s researchers in the Good Food Cardiff Zone area at the food festival in St Fagans National Museum of History.

Previous ZERO2FIVE research has found that people trust their fridges to ensure food is safe to eat, often without checking they are functioning at the correct temperature. Most households do not have refrigerator thermometers, meaning people may be storing food above the recommended 5 degrees C (41 degree F). This can lead to faster growth of spoilage and food poisoning bacteria.

Ellen Evans, who is leading the project, said: “This exciting citizen science project will give people a chance to take part in important research, but most importantly it will enable people to check whether their fridge is operating at a safe temperature and potentially reduce their risk of getting food poisoning. Fridge thermometers are an invaluable tool, and this is a great opportunity to get hold of one for free.” 

Meanwhile, the UK Association for Food Protection Conference has been scheduled at the All Nations Centre in Cardiff on Nov. 22, 2023. Speakers and the final program have yet to be confirmed.

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Colin James Brown and Donna Brown, who ran Shores Seafood in Monkton, Pembroke, are also prohibited from managing a food business indefinitely.

Colin Brown was sentenced to nine months in jail, suspended for two years, and 200 hours of unpaid work. Donna Brown was given six months in prison suspended for two years and 15 days of rehabilitation activity. The prosecution was brought by Pembrokeshire County Council.

Sentencing took place at Swansea Crown Court in late March, after the couple pleaded guilty at earlier hearings to four offenses.

These were failing to take action to protect food from the risk of contamination; placing unsafe food on the market; failing to comply with a Remedial Action Notice and operating the business without approval after permission to supply seafood was suspended.

Listeria issues
The court heard that offenses occurred over a period of time when the business, which sold dressed crabs and lobsters, was found to have produced foods contaminated with high levels of Listeria monocytogenes.

Officers tried to help the business identify potential sources of bacterial contamination and ensure the implementation of food safety management plans, according to the council. However, the firm’s approval to supply seafood to other businesses was suspended in April 2021 due to concerns over the ability to provide safe food.

The council also halted production after it judged the business was not able to implement the necessary controls on an ongoing basis, and without continued intervention.

However, in July 2021 the council became aware that Shores Seafood was continuing to supply products to local food premises in Pembrokeshire and further afield, in breach of enforcement notices. Environmental health officers then contacted supplied businesses and removed products from the market.

A product recall alert was issued by the Food Standards Agency (FSA) in the same month, as a result of information from Pembrokeshire County Council, to ensure that no products remained on sale.

Shores Seafood recalled all cooked seafood (fresh and frozen crabs and lobsters) because it was handled at a site without the necessary approval. This means products did not meet food safety requirements and were deemed unfit for human consumption.

Health risk and suspension breached
Judge Geraint Walters said the local authority was engaged in a cat-and-mouse operation with the business. He also expressed concern at the high levels of Listeria monocytogenes in products and added that food hygiene is not trivial but is important to protect public health.

Michelle Bateman, from Pembrokeshire County Council, said it was determined to ensure people who commit serious offenses or display a blasé approach to complying with food safety and standards requirements are brought to justice.

“It is reassuring to see the court has imposed significant sentences, including the prohibition on managing a food business in the future, on the two people who deliberately continued to run this business despite being subject to notices served by officers of the council to protect the safety of consumers,” she said.

“The offenders had a flagrant disregard for the health of any person who ate their products, despite being aware of the history of contamination of their products with Listeria monocytogenes. They also disregarded the prohibitions placed on them by the authority and had inadequate controls in place to prevent products from being contaminated with this highly concerning bacteria.”

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In total, 124 cases of listeriosis were reported in England and Wales in 2020, which is the lowest amount in several years. In 2019, 144 cases were recorded.

There were two outbreaks in England. One was a national epidemic with four cases associated with smoked salmon. Two people died. The other caused two illnesses from 2018 to 2020 and was linked to prepacked sandwiches served in hospitals.

Surveillance of listeriosis in England and Wales is coordinated by the Gastrointestinal Infections and Food Safety (One Health) Division at the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA). New cases are reported by local clinical laboratories, and health protection teams and by the referral of Listeria monocytogenes isolates to the Gastrointestinal Bacteria Reference Unit (GBRU) for whole genome sequencing (WGS).

Incidence rates were highest in people aged 80 years and older.

Often a serious infection
Overall, women were more affected than men. However, reported cases among men aged 60 to 69 were four times higher than in women in this age bracket. Of 21 cases in people aged 10 to 39, 19 were female and 16 were associated with pregnancy.

Pregnancy-associated infections accounted for a sixth, or 25 cases, which was a higher percentage than in previous years. More than a third of such cases resulted in stillbirth or miscarriage.

Overall, 29 people died and 17 had listeriosis recorded as a cause of death on the death certificate.

Incidence varied geographically, with the lowest in the North West and the highest in the East Midlands. In Wales, eight cases were reported.

October was the peak month for listeriosis reporting in 2020, with no outbreak influence. In 2019, case numbers peaked in May, with one outbreak influencing this finding.

Between January and October 2020, an outbreak was detected in England involving four people, including a pregnancy-related case. One sick person reported consuming salmon trimmings and smoked salmon slices purchased from a UK supermarket chain.

Whole genome sequencing analysis of food isolates from smoked salmon in an EU country identified the outbreak strain. Samples were traced back to a salmon supplier in the UK that distributed products to the retailer reported by one patient.

Listeriosis is a rarely reported disease in England and Wales but the outcome of infection in pregnancy-related cases remains severe, said, officials.

“Two national outbreaks were traced back to high-risk foods for listeriosis. As a predominantly foodborne infection, awareness of high-risk foods for vulnerable groups is vital. It remains imperative that sporadic cases of illness and clusters of the disease continue to be monitored and investigated to inform the continued risk assessment of the food chain.”

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In 2019, there were 1,720 confirmed cases of Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC) reported in England and Wales. Five patients were infected with multiple serogroups.

A total of 539 confirmed cases of STEC O157 were recorded in England and Wales compared to 607 in 2018. It continues a downward trend seen since 2015 and is the lowest annual figure since 1996.

Of 515 confirmed STEC O157 cases in England, 280 were female. Children aged 1 to 4 years old were the most affected. Females had a higher incidence across all age groups, except for those between 1 to 4 years old and 10 to 19.

A total of 147 people were hospitalized with the stay in hospital ranging from one to 10 days with median of two days.

Hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS) occurred in 13 confirmed and five probable cases. Four were younger than the age of 5 with a range of 1 to 75 years old. No deaths were recorded among STEC O157 cases. HUS is a type of kidney failure associated with E. coli infections that can result in lifelong, serious health problems and death.

Overall, 154 cases were travel-related. The top destinations included Turkey, Egypt, and Cyprus.

Non-O157 findings
Detection of and testing for non-O157 STEC increased. In 2019, 768 culture-positive non-O157 STEC cases, with 655 in England and 113 in Wales, were reported. Of 5,760 samples received for testing, 1,002 non-O157 cases were confirmed in England. Of these, 655 culture positive cases of 72 serogroups were confirmed.

The most commonly isolated non-O157 STEC serogroup was E. coli O26, followed by O146, O128ab and O91. A total of 85 people were hospitalized.

HUS occurred in 22 confirmed and one probable STEC non-O157 case. From these, O26 and O145 were the main serogroups isolated.

Seven percent of confirmed STEC O26 cases developed HUS. Cases ranged from 5 months to 65 years old and 13 were between 1 and 4 years old. There were two deaths reported.

For 413 cases, samples were confirmed as STEC by testing positive by PCR for Shiga toxin (stx) genes, but STEC was not cultured.

Outbreaks
Five outbreaks of STEC involving 65 people in England were investigated. Despite epidemiological investigations, it was not possible to find the source of infection. There were three associated HUS cases but no deaths.

Four outbreaks were because of E. coli O157, meaning they caused 9 percent of confirmed cases. The largest affected 28 people, including seven in 2020, with nine needing hospital treatment.

A STEC O26 outbreak sickened 32 people, including 16 in England with five hospitalized. The outbreak strain had stx1a only and cases were mostly healthy adults with a median age of 28.

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Public Health Wales, Conwy County Borough Council and Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board are looking into a case of E. coli O157 at a primary school in Abergele.

The same three agencies are also investigating a probable case of E. coli O157 at a primary school in Conwy to try and find the source.

There is currently no evidence in either case to suggest the child acquired the infection at the school.

Richard Firth, consultant in public health at Public Health Wales, said E. coli infections can be serious.

“Parents and guardians of pupils that attend the school and who may have had contact with this case have been contacted and advised on infection prevention and control measures, and what steps to take if their child develops symptoms. Contacts have been asked to submit samples for testing and to remain off school until negative results are received,” he said.

“Anyone who is unwell with diarrhea or vomiting should stay away from school, nursery or work until they are advised by a medical professional that they are well enough to return or they are free from symptoms for at least 48 hours.”

Those suffering with diarrhea or vomiting are advised to wash hands thoroughly before eating, preparing food or serving food for others and after going to the toilet. All surfaces, including food preparation surfaces and door handles, should be cleaned on a regular, at least daily, basis with standard cleaning materials.

People can become infected through eating contaminated food, from direct contact with animals. Sick people can pass the infection to others. The time between exposure and occurrence of symptoms is usually between one and eight days.

About E. coli infections
Anyone who has developed symptoms of E. coli infection should seek medical attention and tell their doctor about their possible food poisoning. Specific tests are required to diagnose the infections, which can mimic other illnesses.

The symptoms of E. coli infections vary for each person but often include severe stomach cramps and diarrhea, which is often bloody. Some patients may also have a fever. Most patients recover within five to seven days. Others can develop severe or life-threatening symptoms and complications, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

About 5 to 10 percent of those diagnosed with E. coli infections develop a potentially life-threatening kidney failure complication, known as a hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS). Symptoms of HUS include fever, abdominal pain, feeling very tired, decreased frequency of urination, small unexplained bruises or bleeding, and pallor.

Many people with HUS recover within a few weeks, but some suffer permanent injuries or death. This condition can occur among people of any age but is most common in children younger than five years old because of their immature immune systems, older adults because of deteriorating immune systems, and people with compromised immune systems such as cancer patients.

People who experience HUS symptoms should immediately seek emergency medical care. People with HUS will likely be hospitalized because the condition can cause other serious and ongoing problems such as hypertension, chronic kidney disease, brain damage, and neurologic problems.

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A total of 142 cases of listeriosis were reported in England and Wales compared to 157 the year before. This represents an 11.5 percent decline versus the average number in the preceding six years.

There were four outbreaks of listeriosis investigated in England in 2019. For two of them, with three and two clinical cases, the source of infection was unknown. One international outbreak involving five people from 2018 to 2019 was linked to pork products of Romanian origin.

Listeria sandwich outbreak
The other involved prepacked sandwiches served in National Health Service (NHS) hospitals. This outbreak was detected in North West England after two patients were infected with Listeria monocytogenes in the same hospital and subsequently died. Other cases were later identified across seven NHS Trusts using whole genome sequencing (WGS).

Between May 16 and June 14, 2019, nine confirmed cases associated with the outbreak were identified and seven people died. All nine received care at hospitals supplied by The Good Food Chain, the implicated sandwich manufacturer. Consumption of prepacked sandwiches from this company was confirmed for eight people.

Listeria monocytogenes isolates from chicken sandwiches and cooked chicken samples supplied by the sandwich manufacturer and a meat producer called North Country Cooked Meats were confirmed as the outbreak strain by WGS analysis.

May was the peak month for listeriosis reporting in 2019, with the outbreak influencing this result. In 2017 and 2018 numbers peaked in July, with no outbreaks in those months.

Overall, age-specific incidence rates were highest in people 80 years and over. Of 26 cases in the 10 to 19, 20 to 29 and 30 to 39 age groups, 24 were female, of which 19 were associated with pregnancy.

Severe outcome
The outcome of listeriosis during pregnancy remains severe with a third of infections resulting in miscarriages or stillbirths. In 2019, 25, which is less than a fifth of cases, were associated with pregnancy which was comparable to previous years. Amongst pregnancy-associated cases, 64 percent of pregnancies resulted in live births and 36 percent in stillbirth or miscarriage.

There were 23 deaths among 117 non-pregnancy cases, compared to an average of 43 deaths among reported cases from 2013 to 2018.

Of the 23 fatalities, 15 were known to have listeriosis recorded as a cause on the death certificate. This represented a fatality rate of 12.8 percent, compared to 8.5 percent in the previous year.

London had the highest incidence rate with 35 infections whilst the East of England had the lowest with seven patients. Wales recorded three cases.

Incidence of listeriosis was lower in men than women, but reports among men aged 60 to 69 were seven times higher than women in this age range.

Five incidents were investigated involving sporadic cases in 2019 that were microbiologically linked to food or a food environment by detection of the same strain of Listeria monocytogenes by whole genome sequencing.

“As a predominantly foodborne infection, this severe disease is largely preventable. It remains imperative that sporadic cases of illness and clusters of disease continue to be monitored and investigated to inform the continued risk assessment of the food chain,” according to the report.

About Listeria infections
Food contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes may not look or smell spoiled but can still cause serious and sometimes life-threatening infections. People with symptoms of Listeria infection should seek medical treatment and tell their doctors about any possible Listeria exposure.

It can take up to 70 days after exposure to Listeria for symptoms of listeriosis to develop.

Symptoms of Listeria infection can include vomiting, nausea, persistent fever, muscle aches, severe headache, and neck stiffness. Specific laboratory tests are required to diagnose Listeria infections, which can mimic other illnesses.

Pregnant women, the elderly, young children, and people such as cancer patients who have weakened immune systems are particularly at risk of serious illnesses, life-threatening infections, and other complications.

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Almost three quarters of those with a 5 are displaying their rating compared to 45 percent with a 4 and 31 percent with a score of 3. Premises are awarded a rating based on food hygiene standards ranging from 0 (urgent improvement necessary) to 5 (very good).

The Food Hygiene Rating Scheme (FHRS) is run by the Food Standards Agency (FSA) and local authorities. Display became mandatory in Wales in November 2013 and October 2016 in Northern Ireland. In England, businesses are not required by law to display their ratings. The Food Hygiene Information Scheme (FHIS) covers Scotland.

Covert mystery shopping audits were done for 479 firms in England, 480 in Northern Ireland and 498 in Wales. A phone survey was conducted for 500 companies in England, 505 in Northern Ireland and 507 in Wales.

Compulsory display and including online
England continued to lag behind Wales and Northern Ireland in display rates, according to the data. Almost 40 percent of outlets are not displaying stickers either inside or outside the premises. A quarter of firms said they were displaying the rating but were found not to be during the audit.

Rates of display of stickers visible from outside the premises were 55 percent of establishments in England, 87 percent in Northern Ireland and 89 percent in Wales.

In England, 79 percent of businesses are supportive of introducing compulsory display. Firms in all countries also back extending the scheme to include online.

In England, 90 percent of outlets are displaying ratings that match the FHRS database. A total of 8 percent are showing a higher rating, which is down from 12 percent in 2018. Only 2 percent show a rating that is lower than that in the database.

In Northern Ireland, 93 percent of ratings on display match the database, while 5 percent are displaying a higher and 1 percent a lower rating. In Wales, 92 percent are displaying ratings that match the FHRS database, while 4 percent show a higher rating and another 4 percent have a lower rating.

From a low score
From a survey of businesses asked why they display the rating, customer assurance is most commonly mentioned in England at 71 percent compared to 66 percent in 2018. It is the most commonly cited reason in Northern Ireland and the second most in Wales. The main reason in Wales is the compulsory element and this is also the second most frequent reason in Northern Ireland.

In England, the 17 percent of 74 sites that stated they do not display their rating said this was because of a low food hygiene score, lack of room or visibility, they had lost the sticker or certificate, and because it is not compulsory. Most would be encouraged to display if they had a better food hygiene rating, if lost stickers were re-issued, and there was a fairer hygiene rating scheme.

Most companies with a 4 or below said they have taken measures to improve their ratings. These actions cover all three elements of the rating system and include purchasing additional equipment or doing repairs; cleaning equipment more regularly; monitoring refrigerator temperatures; and improving records.

Almost 80 percent said outcomes of hygiene audits that the business pays someone to do should be used to inform ratings in England while 78 percent agree in Northern Ireland and 77 percent in Wales.

Consumer survey
A separate survey on consumer attitudes found most respondents thought businesses should be required to display the rating at their premises.

Face to face interviews were conducted with 2,041 adults in October 2019 in England, Wales and Northern Ireland.

The majority of respondents also said companies providing a online ordering services should display their food hygiene ratings where they can be easily seen by consumers.

Nearly two thirds of people associated businesses that do not display a FHRS sticker with “poor hygiene standards.” However, almost half would buy food from businesses that did not display their food hygiene rating.

The lowest acceptable food hygiene rating was “3” and “4”, both at 39 percent. Most of those surveyed said they would not consider purchasing from a business that had a rating lower than they considered acceptable.

More than half take quality and type of food into account when deciding where to eat out or purchase takeaway food followed, by price, but only a fifth consider hygiene standards and food safety, and 10 percent the food hygiene rating.

A third said they would “definitely” decide to eat out or purchase food from somewhere based on the FHRS rating. In terms of often checking the rating, 20 percent of those in England, 15 percent in Wales and 13 percent in Northern Ireland often do so before deciding to purchase food from an establishment.

Less than a quarter said they had decided not to eat out or purchase takeaway from a business, or not to return there, because of an issue relating to its food hygiene in the past 12 months.

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The report, which contains “no systemic findings,” does acknowledge the audit was conducted before Jan. 31, 2020, when the UK implemented Brexit by withdrawing from the EU.

“At the time of the audit, the United Kingdom was a member of the European Union (EU) and drawing its authority to enforce inspection laws from Regulation (EU) No. 178/2002, which establishes the general principals and requirements of food law, defines the European Food Safety Authority, and procedures in matters of food safety,” the report says.

“The United Kingdom implements the requirements of the EC Food Hygiene Regulations, which are the primary overreaching laws for regulating meat inspection and have been found to be the equivalent of that of the United States.”

Government oversight is one of the six “equivalence components” that are included in a foreign equivalency audit. The report says food safety and standards are “devolved matters” in that they are government authorities that are delegated to institutions like the Scottish Parliament and the Assemblies of Wales, Northern Ireland, and London or to even more local authorities.

Within this structure, the USDA report recognizes the UK’s Department for Environment, Food, and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) as the country’s central authority “for international trade negotiations on all sanitary and phytosanitary matters and international trade of food of animal origin.”

The purpose of the audit was to determine whether the UK’s food safety inspection system governing raw pork remains equivalent to that of the United States with the ability to export products that are safe and properly labeled.

As the audit got underway, England and Northern Ireland were eligible to export raw pork products to the United States.

The audit was also to assess whether the UK’s regulatory oversight for beef and small ruminants is sufficient for export to the U.S. and if the system was adequate for all four UK countries: England, Northern Ireland, Scotland, and Wales.

“An analysis of the on-site audit observations within each component (there are six) did not identify any deficiencies that represented an immediate threat to public health,” the report says.

The auditors from USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) “concluded that the United Kingdom’s meat inspection system government raw pork, raw beef, and small ruminants’ function in a manner equivalent to that of the United States.

They found the UK “implements a single food safety inspection system by applying the same set of laws, regulations, and policies to all establishments certified to export to the United States.”

The audit report, dated Feb. 26, 2020, was sent to Christine Middlemiss, the chief veterinary officer for the UK, on March 6, 2020, the same date it was made publicly available by the U.S. FSIS.

The on-site audit included two laboratories, five beef facilities including slaughter and processing functions, one lamb and mutton slaughter and raw processing facility, one pork slaughter, and a processing plant, and a cold storage facility. Regulatory offices were also visited in the four countries.

For a three-year period, from 2016 to 2019, FSIS re-inspected 100 percent of the raw pork exported to the U.S. from England and Northern Ireland. More than 65.4 million pounds were re-inspected with almost 7 million pounds also tested for chemical residues and Salmonella. No public health rejections occurred.

The UK corrected findings the FSIS found in the last audit, which was conducted in 2017.

Some inspections in the UK are conducted by third-party contractors who are not government employees. Prior to the audit, FSIS “determined that the use in the United Kingdom of inspectors who are not under direct government supervision meets equivalence criteria.”

The UK “has formally delegated to contract employees the authority to conduct government inspection activities and to take enforcement measures when necessary to stop violations of food safety measures.”

Government supervisors audit the work of the contact employees at least four times a year.

USDA’s  new equivalency audit for UK meat exports means that British beef will soon be headed for the U.S.

The next step is finishing up an export deal around valued at about £66 million over the first five years.  

The UK’s Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board (AHDB) in partnership with DEFRA along with other organizations are negotiating with the U.S.

When those talks clear up remaining administrative details, look for UK’s beef export to America will begin.

The assessment of the Food Hygiene Rating Scheme (FHRS), commissioned by the Food Standards Agency (FSA), was done between October 2018 and January 2019 by John Barnes, a food safety consultant at Enmoore.

Businesses in England are not legally required to display FHRS compliance stickers, while in Wales and Northern Ireland it is mandatory. There are six levels of hygiene ratings from zero, meaning urgent improvement is necessary, to 5, which means very good compliance. Scotland has its own system, the Food Hygiene Information Scheme that has three ratings: Pass, Improvement Required and Exempt Premises.

One recommendation made in a recent National Audit Office report was to introduce mandatory hygiene rating display. Jason Feeney, then-FSA chief executive, said the agency is working toward doing this.

“We’re delighted that the NAO supports our aim to introduce mandatory display of hygiene ratings in food businesses in England,” he said.

Barnes told Food Safety News he supports mandatory hygiene display.

“It gives greater transparency and, where it is mandatory, has significantly improved food safety compliance in businesses. Consumers have more choice and businesses must respond as people are not going to choose a place which could poison them. With social media consumers are to some extent the new regulator and it would be a step in the right direction,” he said.

Focus on re-rating instead of appeal
Barnes said one major finding of the review concerned the appeals process.

“I know that when I worked at the FSA there was a view creeping in from industry that the appeals process was not independent enough. You don’t want an elephant in the room if you plan on bringing in a mandatory scheme,” he said.

“What came back from industry was a focus on re-rating and not appeals because changes to the re-rating process meant efforts were best focused on that rather than a process they have no control over. Industry re-focus speeded up the re-rating process, it used to take six months and is now three, local authorities accept businesses work on a tight timescale.”

The report found industry perceived the appeals process as lacking independence from the rating authority but put focus on improving the rating instead of appealing as it rarely resulted in success for them or a change to the rating. Welsh data showed there were 100 appeals between Nov. 19, 2016, and Dec. 27, 2017, representing less than 2 percent of 5,424 businesses rated less than 5.

Welsh safeguard data shows 15 of 100 appeals between November 2016 and November 2017 resulted in a higher rating, with one leading to a lower rating. Data for Northern Ireland will be published this year and none is collected for England. This lack of transparency on the number and outcomes of appeals has the potential to perpetuate concerns and mistrust, according to the report.

Responding to this finding, the FSA officials said the agency would look into the lack of central data on appeals by March 2020.

“We will identify and explore mechanisms for monitoring and reviewing relevant local authority documentation relating to appeals to improve central oversight and where appropriate provide challenge and present these to the Food Hygiene Ratings Steering Group for consideration.”

Data gaps
Barnes found the lack of robust data in England presents a significant risk of reputational damage to FSA and the FHRS brand. There is insufficient data on the number and outcomes of requested re-rating inspections and appeals determined by local authorities in England, according to the report.

Requests for a re-rating were the most used FHRS safeguard. Between Nov. 28, 2016 and Nov. 27, 2017 local authorities in Wales received 815 requests for re-rating inspections, representing 15 percent of 5,424 establishments rated 0 to 4.

Fees charged by local authorities are £160 in Wales and £150 in Northern Ireland. A number of authorities in England do not charge for re-visits and have no plans to do so. A FSA questionnaire in 2017 to English authorities showed charges varied from £100 to £330.

The industry view was access to this safeguard in England was “inconsistent and unfair”, according to the report.

FSA said it would produce an annual FHRS Report including information on use of safeguards in England, Wales and Northern Ireland and information on charges applied for requested re-rating inspection with the first one in July 2020.

Multi-site issue
Where businesses receive an improved rating but not a 5, it cannot be displayed on the FSA website until after the 21-day appeal period has lapsed. The report found this had created occasional local problems and FSA said it would look enabling quicker publication of ratings.

Barnes found that some local authorities in England are not notifying the head office for multi-site businesses of the FHRS rating for individual outlets as they are required to do.

“Food safety representatives for national companies operating multi-site businesses raised substantive concerns about occasional delays in their head office being made aware of an individual outlet’s FHRS rating. They felt that these delays coupled with letters which lacked the necessary clarity and supporting detail, undermined their decision making and access to the appeal safeguard as there is a 21-day time limit for the company to lodge an appeal and this period commenced on the notification of the FHRS rating to the outlet,” according to the report.

Responding to this finding, the FSA said it would remind local authorities of their responsibilities.

“We will write to all local authorities in England, Wales and Northern Ireland to highlight the importance of communicating ratings for individual outlets to head offices in the case of multi-site businesses and remind them of their obligation to do so. We will follow up with individual local authorities if it is brought to our attention that they are failing to meet their obligation to communicate ratings for individual outlets to head offices in the case of multi-site businesses.”

A U.K. wide FHRS Steering Group, which includes industry and external stakeholders as well as local authorities, had not met since 2016. FSA will reconvene this group with membership from industry, local authority and consumer representatives and a remit of England, Wales and Northern Ireland. The first meeting will be in early September.

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Rates of displaying stickers visible from outside the premises was 52 percent in England, 87 percent in Wales and 84 percent in Northern Ireland. Display became mandatory in Wales in November 2013 and Northern Ireland in October 2016.

In England, companies are not required by law to display their rating but more than three-quarters of businesses in the country said introduction of compulsory display would be a good thing. Just under a third of firms say they display the rating because they believe it is compulsory.

Establishments that do not display their rating do so because they have lost the sticker or certificate, because it is not compulsory, it is not relevant to the business or as they have a low rating.

Higher rating means more likely to display
The Food Hygiene Rating Scheme (FHRS) launched in 2010 is run by FSA and local authorities. The system helps consumers make decisions about where to eat or shop for food by providing information about hygiene standards at the time of inspections by local authorities.

Premises are awarded a rating based on food hygiene standards ranging from 0 when urgent improvement is necessary to 5, which is “very good.” It covers firms supplying or serving food to consumers, such as restaurants, pubs, cafés, takeaways and hotels, as well as supermarkets and other retailers.

In England, businesses with a higher rating are more likely to display than those with a lower one. Over two-thirds (70 percent) of those with a rating of 5 are displaying it compared to 31 percent with a rating of 3 and 17 percent of those that have a rating of 0 to 2.

Around a third of establishments in each country say displaying their rating has had a positive impact on business. Customer assurance (66 percent) was the main motivation for display in England followed by being proud of their rating (35 percent). However, only 8 percent report having customers who commented on the scheme and 11 percent had consumers remark on their rating.

Most sites that receive a rating of 4 or below are taking action to improve (81 percent in England, 82 percent in Wales and 79 percent in Northern Ireland). This includes purchasing additional equipment or doing repairs, cleaning equipment more regularly, monitoring fridge temperatures and improving records and training.

Display not always matching records

Research assessed the proportion of businesses displaying food hygiene ratings by using mystery shopping audits. Auditors visited 500 establishments in each of the three countries.

A telephone survey with firms in England, Wales and Northern Ireland looked at business attitudes towards the scheme and, in Wales and Northern Ireland, to determine the impact of compulsory display.

Nine in ten of those that say they are displaying in England say their rating is visible from the outside, with the remaining 10 percent saying it is visible inside the premises only. However, this differs from those seen during mystery shopping audits – 52 percent of outlets were found to be displaying ratings outside with a further 5 percent displaying them inside.

In England, 88 percent are displaying ratings that match those in the FHRS database, while 12 percent are showing higher than in the database and 1 percent a lower rating.

Recent spot checks by the City of London Corporation’s Trading Standards officers found that out of 140 food premises visited, 22 were displaying a FHRS sticker higher than what they were entitled.

Trading Standards visited the offending premises and ensured inaccurate stickers were removed. Each visit was followed up with a written warning to the food business. The City of London Corporation supports a change in the law requiring food outlets display their score publicly.

Angela Towers, head of the FSA’s food hygiene rating team, said: “People have a right to trust that the hygiene rating displayed in a restaurant’s window is accurate and we are pleased that the City of London Corporation has taken action against a small minority of food businesses who have sought to mislead the public.”

In Northern Ireland, 95 percent of ratings on display match the database, while 4 percent are displaying higher and 1 percent a lower rating. In Wales, 92 percent are displaying ratings that match the database, while 6 percent are showing a higher rating and 2 percent a lower rating.

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The Local Government Association (LGA) represents 415 government entities, including 370 local councils in England and Wales. It is a cross-party organization that works to ensure local government has a strong, credible voice with national government. On Tuesday the association called for food safety and animal health information systems to remain available in England after it leaves the European Union.

Public health concerns are among the issues LGA follows closely. Failure to protect access to the “key intelligence” currently available through Britain’s membership in the European Union would weaken public health protection and work against safe food, the LGA contends.

“Previous food scandals, such as horsemeat, damaged public confidence in food and hit red meat sales in the U.K.,” according to the association. Alerts are regularly sent for pesticides residue, mercury, Salmonella and E. Coli.

Under the European Union, the U.K. has been part of a wide framework of rules and systems “based upon scientific evidence which ensures the traceability of high risk products – notably food, feed and animal products – and provides rapid access to intelligence about contamination of products, helping to build a picture about suspect suppliers.”

Locally, this ensures regulation from council officers through access to vital information; to target their enforcement activity, protect public health and support the economy.

The association argues that exiting the EU without an agreement on access to the information would leave regulators “in limbo” beginning in March 2019 when Britain begins its withdrawal. Also, under the terms of the draft EU-UK withdrawal agreement, access to the databases would be “switched off” after 2020.

“Councils, which help to protect public health through their trading standards, environmental health and port health work, are warning of the increased risk to public health if regulators are not able to access these systems and are calling on the Government and the European Union to ensure that, regardless of what form the final Brexit agreement takes, the UK’s access to these key mechanisms is maintained,” according to a statement from the association.

According to Cllr Kevin Bentley, chairman of the association’s Brexit Taskforce the UK has painful, recent experience of the damage that can be caused when food and feed are compromised.

“If we lose access to these databases, we will lose access to vital intelligence about the origin of food, feed and animal products, and won’t be aware when rapid alerts are issued to the rest of the continent,” Bently said in the association statement. “This will significantly weaken our ability to effectively protect the food system, increasing the risk of a new scandal and undermining public confidence in the food industry.

“After years of funding reductions for trading standards and environmental health, we simply do not have the capacity to increase checks to offset this risk, either at ports or inland, unless this is fully funded. Without additional capacity, there is simply no alternative to continuing to receive and share this type of information.”

Continued access to these EU-wide databases is of vital importance and the British government and the European Union must ensure that it is maintained, Bently said.

Among the association’s points in the Tuesday statement were:

• Currently the UK is part of a number of key databases that build intelligence and maintain the integrity of food and feed across Europe, most importantly the”Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed (RASFF) and the Trade Control and Expert System (TRACES).
• RASFF enables information to be shared efficiently between its members and provides a round-the-clock service to ensure that urgent notifications are sent, received and responded to collectively and efficiently.
• In 2016, a total of 2,993 original notifications were transmitted through the RASFF, of which 28 percent (847) were classified as alert, with the UK the fifth highest in overall notifications. The Top 10 number of notifications, by notifying country, with the number of notifications counted for each combination of hazard/product category/notifying country were:

TRACES is the European Commission’s multilingual online management tool for all sanitary requirements on intra-EU trade and importation of animals, semen and embryo, food, feed and plants which helps reduce the impact of disease outbreaks and brings a quick response to any sanitary alert, for the better protection of consumers, livestock and plants.

In 2016 there were 35,000 users of TRACES worldwide generating nearly 2 million certificates and official attestations concerning trade within the European Union (EU).

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(To sign up for a free subscription to Food Safety News, click here.)

(To sign up for a free subscription to Food Safety News, click here.)

It’s not an A-to-F letter grade like those now seen in many locations in the United States including New York City. Instead, England is using the 1-to-5 scale of its Food Hygiene Rating Scheme (FHRS).

The Food Standards Agency (FSA) in the United Kingdom and local health authorities in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland began rolling out the Food Hygiene Ratings last month.

After inspections by local food safety officers, each food and beverage establishment will be encouraged to publicly post the hygiene rating it achieves, from 0 at the bottom (which means the establishment requires “urgent improvement”) to 5 at the top (very good).

“I am pleased that most of the London boroughs are joining the Food Hygiene Rating System, especially with the influx of visitors for the start of the games later this month,” says FSA Chairman Jeff Rooker.

“People living, working or holidaying in London will be able to use the scheme in the knowledge that the same standards have been used to judge good hygiene in all the boroughs and across the country,” adds Rooker. “Telling consumers about hygiene standards in food outlets gives them greater choice and power to vote with their feet–they are able to choose to east at places with the highest standards and avoid those that don’t make the grade.”

Food Hygiene Ratings were first introduced in 24 local areas of Northern Ireland with all district councils planning to join the program by year’s end. Before summer is over, ratings should appear at about 14,000 cafes, restaurants, supermarkets and delis in North Ireland.

“Would be diners can now check out Food Hygiene Ratings online and they can also look out for the scheme’s green and black stickers and certificates that food business are proudly displaying on their premises, not just in Northern Ireland, but also throughout England and Wales,” says Gerry McCurdy, FSA’s director for Northern Ireland.

Under the system being introduced this summer, food businesses are not legally required to post their score, but more than half have been posting them and scores for all inspections are available on line.

New York City’s letter grade inspection system includes mandatory posting.  The New York City Health Department imposed the mandatory posting rule in June 2010, but it did not go into effect until the following year.

Still by early 2012, New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg credited the posting of letter grades by the city’s 24,000 restaurants for improvement in Salmonella rates not experienced by surrounding states.

Letter grades were used in restaurant inspections in the U.S. long before New York City made such programs trendy. Numerous jurisdictions have added food trucks to their letter grade inspection systems.

The UK’s food hygiene rating scheme apparently won’t be seen in Scotland anytime soon.  Scotland is breaking off from the FSA and setting up its own independent agency.

Mills, 36, is being recognized for her efforts to improve food safety since losing her son. Mason became the face of the Wales outbreak, which sickened more than 150, mostly children, and sent 31 to area hospitals.

Mills most recently has worked to make the display of restaurant food hygienic scores mandatory. The Welsh Government has said it will introduce legislation to require all restaurants, including those that sell only take out foods, to display their inspection scores.

Mills, who has two surviving sons ages now 7 and 14, also played a role in the outbreak investigations, including the independent inquiry conducted by Professor Hugh Pennington.

“I’m extremely pleased with the nomination and I am very proud, ” she said. “This is quite an achievement for us and my little boy. There have been a considerable amount of changes made (in food hygiene laws) since 2005 and there are more tools for parents to find out more about where they and their children are eating.”

Her father, Robert Mills, said: “Sharon has campaigned tirelessly for a change in the laws governing food safety.

“Her belief that Mason’s death must not be in vain and her efforts to stop such an outbreak ever occurring again deserve true recognition.

“And on top of everything, she continues to be a perfect mum to her other two boys.”

The  selection panel will include: Olympic athlete Denise Lewis, choreographer Arlene Phillips, television presenter Emma Forbes and Ultimo founder Michelle Mone.

Wales has delivered justice for the 2009 Llay Fish Bar outbreak.

Anyone looking for an air-tight scientific report to go with the jail sentence will likely be disappointed.

Ramazan Aslam, who owned and operated the Llay Fish Bar at the time of the August 2009, was sentenced for violating nine counts of the hygienic code without any malicious intent.

It is not usual to find sanitary conditions like those inspectors found inside the Llay Fish Bar after the outbreak of E. coli O157:H7 infected nine customers.

But the medical struggle of a young mother who was one of those victims, Wrexham librarian Karen Morrisroe, was the subject of widespread interest in Wales and made this case anything but normal. Morrisroe was in a coma for five months after she became infected with E. coli.

Aslam’s food-handling practices were immediately subject to a Wrexham Council investigation that found he did not inform the local government when he took over the fish bar; failed to put a plan in place to identify hazards or take corrective actions; did not have a pest control plan, and did not have proper hand washing and drying facilities.  

Doors and windows of the Llay Fish Bar were often left open without any screening.

Aslam took responsibility, but said he did not have adequate training.

The judge who sentenced Aslam said the fish and chip bar owner knew the risks he was taking but “chose to ignore them.”

The judge’s order prevents Aslam from even participating in the management of any food business without a further court order.

In the end, the Llay Fish Bar investigation did not produce a lab-confirmed link from pathogen to food source to menu item.  But for the next eight months, that is not going to make any difference to Aslam.

Butcher William John Tudor sold rotten meat for years, according to testimony in a coroner’s inquest in Wales this week, but that did not lead to a verdict against him for unlawful killing.

Instead, Gwent coroner David Bowen said five-year old Mason Jones’ death during the 2005 outbreak of E. coli O157:H7 in Wales was the result of a systematic failure.  He said stricter food controls are needed.

“Mason’s death was the result of an E. coli infection probably due to the consumption of cooked meat which had become contaminated during the course of preparation due to a lack of or disregard for good food hygiene practices,” Bowen said.

Bowen called for an “urgent review” of the mechanism for food hygiene regulations enforcement, more frequent inspections of abattoirs, and stricter compliance with food hygiene regulations.  

John Tudor and Sons butchers in Bridgend supplied meat to about 40 schools in South Wales, including young Mason’s primary school.  Contaminated gammon and turkey the youngster ate at school left him infected with E. coli O157:H7.  After two weeks of suffering, the boy died.

“The strain which killed Mason was indistinguishable from the strain found in unused cooked meat supplied to schools by William Tudor,” the coroner said.

The 2005 outbreak of E. coli O157:H7 was the largest ever in Wales and second largest in the United Kingdom.  More than 150 became infected, and 31 required hospitalization.  Like Mason Jones, most of the victims were children.

An independent inquiry led by Professor Hugh Pennington last year issued its report and recommendations.

Since the outbreak, the 56-year old Tudor has served one year in jail after admitting to six counts of placing unsafe food on the market and one count of failing to protect food from the risk of contamination.

Bowen, the coroner, opted to give a “narrative verdict” that will be shared with both the Welsh Assembly and the Ministry of Justice rather than ruling that Mason’s death was an “unlawful killing.”

Sharon Mills, Mason’s 36-year old mother, wept during the reading of the coroner’s verdict.  

The Llay Fish Bar, which sold fish and chips for take-out, was associated with a July 2009 outbreak of E. coli O157:H7 that infected four people, including a three-year old girl.

The National Public Health Service for Wales said in 2009 that the Llay Fish Bar, which is now operating under a different name and new ownership, was the likely source of the contamination.

In the Sept. 23 proceedings, Asian is being charged with a number of food hygiene offenses.

The restaurant was closed for 5 weeks after the outbreak, but was allowed to re-open in September 2009 after the investigation and inspection gave the “chip shop” its license back.

At the time, the solicitor representing Asian said there was no scientific evidence to show the chip shop was responsible for the outbreak.  He said the only common factor was that all the people affected bought food at the fish bar, but there is no evidence the E. coli came from the fish bar.

He said the chip shop was clean and well run, and that Asian had 17 years experience in the food business.

The family of one victim was critical of the decision to allow the restaurant to re-open before four who were stricken recovered.

The Wrexham Council began an investigation at the time of the outbreak with the intent of bringing legal proceedings, according to a spokesman.

Karen Morrisroe, 33, of Wrexham, a victim who was in a coma for five weeks, said after recovering that the United Kingdom needs tighter regulations to control E. coli infections.  She has called E. coli rates in the UK “disgusting.”

“One potential source of contamination in abattoirs is when micro-organisms in waste material come into contact with the meat as it is being processed,” said project leader Michael Lee. “The contamination can be in such small amounts that it is almost indiscernible.”

He said the three-year research project will develop natural chlorophyll-based markers which can be added to animal feed. Carcasses will then be screened in the abattoir using fluorescent imaging.  Markers will show when exposed to the fluorescent light, thus identifying contamination of the meat by animal waste.

Lee explains: “Working with partners across the industry allows us to work along the food chain–from development of the natural markers within the laboratory through to observing the production processes and seeking contaminants on carcasses.  We are currently working with British Chlorophyll to develop the markers and the Wynnstay Group to develop lamb finishing feeds which include the markers.”

Wales Online reported that scientists said the project will also consider the possibility of using the markers to reveal any contamination of poultry and eggs.

“Five markers are currently being tested in poultry to determine the potential of identifying contamination of eggs and chicken meat. This will be a significant step forward in helping to lower cases of outbreaks such as Salmonella,” Lee said.

“Public perception of the dangers associated with the contamination of poultry has always been greater than that of red meat, so we’re particularly pleased to be working with a range of partners to provide a solution to the issue.”

One of the key questions that will be considered is how these markers will be delivered–whether to feed the markers to animals in concentrate feed, in water or mineral supplements. Thereafter, the whole system for imaging and visualizing the markers on carcasses will be developed. The project has been funded through the Assembly Government’s Academic Expertise for Business (A4B) program which is aimed at encouraging collaborative research and development between industry and academia.

Elin Jones, Rural Affairs Minister, said it was vitally important to improve food safety in order to maintain consumer confidence in the products they buy and the credibility of producers within the Welsh farming industry.

“I recently launched a consultation for a Food Strategy for Wales and obtaining relevant research to support the development of this strategy is important. This project will contribute to achieving this objective.”

The work at IBERS is closely linked to the European Commission funded ProSafeBeef Project.  Pathogen reduction in carcasses is one of its key objectives.  Lee’s project will build on the work carried out by ProSafeBeef in identifying chlorophyll markers, and will explore their application in industry.

Duncan Sinclair from Waitrose, and project chair, said, “This project is an excellent example of how collaboration amongst different businesses involved in the same supply chain can work together, to deliver a robust and reliable solution to just one of the many challenges we face in delivering safe food to consumers.”