Guernsey food safety revamp urgent - report

Related tags Food safety Food standards agency

Guernsey urgently needs to overhaul its antiquated and piecemeal food safety laws to avoid a ban on exports, said a report from the island’s government.

The Health and Social Services Department (HSSD) on the Channel Island tabled a report said that present efforts to promote its thriving food sector could be wrecked as companies “could be subject to audit by the EU and would currently fail".

The report, published on Friday, said it would lead to a reduction in food poisoning rates and allow producers to get better prices for their goods.

The department said it wanted to bring in a piece of legislation to consolidate the current 20 laws governing food production dating back to 1947.

It revealed that the UK Food Standards Agency was constantly asking for the implementation of new food safety regulations.

One issue is that different standards apply to businesses operating locally and those producing food for export.

“The proposals contained in this report will bring about a fair and consistent system for all food operations in Guernsey and will facilitate trade with other jurisdictions,” said the HSSD.