Environmental Health - Food Safety - Food Sampling.
Environmental Health take samples of food from shops, restaurants and manufacturers in the District. These samples are tested for micro-biological quality. | |
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Environmental Health take samples of food from shops, restaurants and manufacturers in the District. Samples are tested for micro-biological quality. Test results help us to monitor the safety of food sold in the District and to take action when public health
may be at risk.
How we choose the type of food that we sample.
Basildon District Council in partnership with other Essex local authorities contributes to a food sampling programme that has been agreed with the Health Protection Agency  .
The programme requires that food samples from various types of food business in the District are tested on a regular basis.
Working in partnership with other local authorities gives more statistically significant results and helps to focus resources on food that may pose a risk to public health.
In addition, Basildon District Council also contributes to similar national sampling programmes as well as taking samples in response to our own local needs, for example; in response to food complaints.
What the results of micro-biological testing mean.
The sample results are expressed as;
- Satisfactory – test results show good microbiological quality
- Acceptable – this result indicates a borderline limit of microbiological quality
- Unsatisfactory – test results indicate that further sampling may be necessary and that environmental health officers may wish to investigate whether the hygiene practices in the premises are adequate or not
- Unacceptable/potentially hazardous – test results indicate that urgent attention is needed to locate and remedy the source of the problem
What we do when we receive unsatisfactory or unacceptable/potentially hazardous results.
Unsatisfactory results are handed to the environmental health officer for the area who will analyse the result and decide what action is going to be taken.
This will relate to the risk to health posed by the result.
Officers may decide to re-sample the food and look at the hygiene practices at the premises where the food was prepared.
Unacceptable/potentially hazardous results receive immediate action to protect public health. This will involve a thorough investigation. Thankfully these results are very rare.
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