Food: Safety

Dr. Iddon
To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much each local authority spent per head of population on taking and analysing samples for food standards purposes in the last 12 months.

Dawn Primarolo
The decision on how much each local authority spends on taking and analysing samples for food standards purposes is decided by each local authority in accordance with the requirements of the Food Law Code of Practice issued in June 2008.

Each authority is required to publish a food sampling policy and make it available to businesses and consumers. The policy sets out the authority's general approach to food sampling and its approach in specific situations such as process monitoring, inspections, complaints, special investigations and national, regional and local co-ordinated programmes.