Food and Health & Safety Service Plan 2023-24 - Flipbook - Page 2
Foreword
On behalf of East Su昀昀olk Council, it is my privilege as Cabinet Member for Community Health to
present this service plan for Food Safety, Health and Safety and Port Health Services.
At the heart of our community is the health and safety of the people we serve. It is imperative
that we provide a robust framework which re昀氀ects our unwavering dedication to enabling public
health and enhancing the quality of life for all. This plan serves as a comprehensive road map
that outlines our commitment to ensuring the highest standards are achieved.
The content of the plan re昀氀ects the Food Standards Agency’s service planning requirements
of us as a local authority and includes our responsibilities for delivering o昀케cial food controls,
both inland and at our seaports by our Food and Safety Team and Su昀昀olk Coastal Port Health
Authority based in Felixstowe. The health, safety and well-being of our local authority workforce
is paramount and for that reason we include the important work of our Corporate Health and
Safety Team.
Many of the digital adaptations to our services made during the COVID-19 pandemic have
proven to be successful and we have retained them as permanent methods of working. By
using ‘paperless’ work procedures and utilising a more responsive communications model
we are minimising the amount of travel by our sta昀昀 and contributing to a cleaner, healthier
environment for all.
Our colleagues at Su昀昀olk Coastal Port Health
Authority (SCPHA) have been working hard to
ensure checks on food entering the UK through
the Port of Felixstowe, Harwich International Port
and the Port of Ipswich are carried out e昀케ciently,
and that the UK’s food supply chain is protected.
Changes in the rules for bringing food into the UK
from the EU means that our Port Health Team may
see an increase in the number and frequency of
checks it performs after October 2023. In response,
a sophisticated update to the system used to track,
manage, process and record food imports is
currently being developed by SCPHA’s team which
will ensure that food passing through the UK’s
largest container port continues to reach
its destination on time.
I applaud all those who have contributed to the
successes set out in this plan. Our achievements
would not be possible without the dedication and
expertise of our East Su昀昀olk Council and Su昀昀olk
Coastal Port Authority sta昀昀 and the commitment
of our hard-working businesses, our partner
organisations and all those who work so diligently
all year round.
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East Suffolk Food and Health & Safety Service Plan 2023/24
Cllr Jan Candy
Cabinet Member for
Community Health