Food consignment was taken under control of Highland Council and destroyed

10th June 2016

Food Delivery Company ignored food safety rules.

Officers from The Highland Council's Environmental Health Team are warning food businesses that frozen and chilled foods must be handled, prepared and transported within safe temperatures, and that failure to meet food safety requirements, may result in officers detaining or seize the food.

This advice follows a recent incident when intelligence from Police Scotland led the Council's Environmental Health Service to inspect a van that was transporting a large consignment of raw meat kebabs, poultry and dairy products to food businesses in Inverness without the use of a freezer compartment. As a result, the food consignment was taken under the control of the Council and destroyed.

Senior Environmental Health Officer, Patricia Sheldon said: "This case highlights the lengths that some food business operators are prepared to go for the purposes of making money without consideration of food safety. Food business operators have a clear duty to ensure that the safety of food they handle and prepare is not compromised and this extends to how the food is supplied and delivered to them. The safety of the food chain and protection of public health is a key priority for the Council and the Environmental Health Service shall not hesitate to take enforcement action to ensure that appropriate food safety standards are maintained."

For more information about food hygiene requirements or if you wish to report a food safety concern, you can contact the Council at www.highland.gov.uk or by phone on 01349 886603. Further guidance can also be found at www.foodstandards.gov.scot.