Food Law News - UK - 2001


LACOTS Press Release, 2 August 2001

ENFORCEMENT - LACOTS Calls for Licensing of Food Premises

LACOTS, at a recent meeting of its Management Committee, called for licensing in all food businesses in a bid to ensure safer food is guaranteed for all. LACOTS, the UK local government body that coordinates all local authority food regulators, believe that licensing will place a focus on business to provide safe food and generally comply with food laws.

"I think most consumers would be shocked to learn that currently anyone can run a food business without first being checked to ensure they produce safe food. We believe that licensing will make sure that businesses know they have a clear duty to produce safe food," says LACOTS Chairman Councillor John Ryan OBE.

"Consumer confidence has sunk to low levels in recent years in the wake of BSE, E. Coli and Foot and Mouth scares and we believe that licensing will allow responsible business with a clear food safety focus to be recognised by consumers and allow them to purchase food with the confidence that it has been produced to safe standards"

The LACOTS position sets out in detail the ways in which it believes that licensing will provide benefits for regulators, trade and consumers. These include:

In supporting licensing LACOTS is clear that there will be important challenges resulting for local government regulators. It is intended that this detailed paper will act as a platform for further discussions with central government and trade to produce an effective licensing system. LACOTS will continue to press for consideration of Licensing by Central Government Departments.

LACOTS is the Local Authorities Co-ordinating body on Food and Trading Standards whose role is to encourage consistent enforcement of food and trading standards law and promote good practice in local regulatory authorities. Enforcement co-ordination is the cornerstone of its activities.


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