FSA News Item, 9 January 2012
A new report published by the FSA shows that consumers are broadly in favour of reducing inspections on compliant businesses so that resources can be focused on those which are higher risk.
Under the proposed ‘Earned Recognition’ scheme, food businesses that are able to demonstrate a history of good compliance with the legislation, or that are members of a private assurance scheme, would receive a lighter touch in terms of the number and type of official inspections. The proposed changes will help to ensure consumer safety by concentrating resources where improvement is most needed, for example on businesses that are less compliant or higher risk.
The Agency commissioned a series of citizens’ forums to explore consumer’s views about proposed changes to the regulation of food businesses. Participants considered Earned Recognition a positive step for the Agency to take on the condition that these businesses were still regulated sufficiently and that the scheme was applied fairly across the food industry. Nine workshops were held with groups of approximately 10 people between June and August 2011.
A copy of the report is available on this site. See: FSA Citizens Forums: Earned Recognition TNS-BMRB Report