Food Safety Service

Under the remit of Food Safety in addition to general duties there are three areas of work undertaken at SGEHC. These are food control, infectious diseases and health promotion. The Food Safety team consists of Martina McNulty, Principal EHO (Food Control/Infectious Diseases/Health Promotion) and Paula O'Neill, Senior EHO (Food Control/Infectious Diseases/Health Promotion) and Charlotte Jacobs (Food Safety Support Officer).

General Duties

• Auditing and monitoring of food enforcement activities within constituent councils
• Provision of in-house training programmes for EHOs, food businesses and members of the public
• Student EHO training
• Delivery of quality systems such as Best Value Performance Improvement Plan and development and maintenance of ISO 9001:2000 Quality System for the Group Food Safety Service and constituent councils
• Co-ordination of the Food Officers Group Southern (FOGS) with provision of Chair and Secretary to the Group
• Representation on behalf of constituent councils on the following: Northern Ireland Food Liaison Group; Northern Ireland Food Labelling Task Group; CAWT, etc

Food Control

• Provision of specialist advice and information on all food related legislation to district councils
• Provision of specialist advice and information on effective and uniform enforcement of food related legislation
• Inspect high risk food premises as required within the constituent council areas and provide assistance to councils in implementation of HACCP systems and food hygiene and food standards inspection programmes
• Co-ordination of Food Alert notifications from the Food Standards Agency
• Collation of food complaint notifications from constituent councils
• Co-ordination of food surveys and sampling in the constituent councils
• Carry out research in matters relating to food safety including new and existing legislation, codes of practice and other guidance

Infectious Diseases

• The co-ordination of confirmed and alleged food poisoning notifications and investigation of food and waterborne outbreaks and liaise with Southern Health and Social Services Board and other relevant bodies in respect of ensuing investigations.
• Participate in the on-call rota for co-ordinating emergency responses within the Group area and administer the on-call rota system.

Health Promotion

• Administration and provision of CIEH courses
• Actively promote and participate in health promotion initiatives within the Group area and partnership working

Examples of these initiatives are:

• Investing for Health initiatives
• National Food Safety Week in conjunction with constituent councils, The Food Standards Agency, Foodlink and The food Safety Promotion Board(Safefood)
• Food for Play in conjunction with Playboard and the Health Promotion Agency
• Armagh & Dungannon Health Action Zone initiatives

Web links

Food Standards Agency
www.food.gov.uk

Eat Safe
www.eatsafe.gov.uk

Department of Agriculture and Rural Development
www.dardni.gov.uk

Defra, UK - Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
www.defra.gov.uk

Health Promotion Agency
www.healthpromotionagency.co.uk

Smoke Free
www.smokefreenorthernireland.com

Southern Investing for Health
www.southernifh.com

Southern Area Health Promotion Department
www.sahpd.com

Food Vision
www.foodvision.gov.uk

Armagh and Dungannon Health Action Zone
www.adhaz.org.uk

Public Health Matters
www.publichealthmatters.org

Food Link
www.foodlink.org.uk

Health and Social Care Northern Ireland
www.n-i.nhs.uk

The Anaphylaxis Campaign
www.anaphylaxis.org.uk

Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety
www.dhsspsni.gov.uk

Eco-Schools
www.eco-schools.org

Chartered Institute of Environmental Health
www.cieh.org