The Food Standards and Feed Controls Service Plan outlines how Buckinghamshire and ßÙßÇÂþ» Trading Standards intends to fulfil its statutory obligations to enforce standards for food and animal feeding stuffs.
As well as meeting the requirements of the Food Standards Agency (FSA), the Plan contains information that will be of interest to consumers and food businesses.
Most of the legislation regulating the food market derives from the European Union (EU), so the coming years will be uncertain, and we can help food businesses by working in partnership to ensure their products remain compliant and support them pragmatically to deal with the evolving legislative framework.
We offer chargeable business advice and Primary Authority Partnerships(PAP) to support businesses. We will also support consumers by disseminating important food issues and changes in legislation.
The Plan has been drawn up in accordance with the published by the and ensures that the work we carry out is in line with the Food Standards Agency Strategy 2022 to 2027 and their fundamental mission for food you can trust. By this, they mean a food system in which:
- Food is safe
- Food is what it says it is
- Food is healthier and more sustainable
The Plan also incorporates our joint corporate priorities:
- Economic prosperity - Helping businesses to thrive and supporting growth
- Improving health and wellbeing
- Innovation
- Customer focus / resident experience
Official Food Standards and Feed Controls Service Plan 2025 to 2026
This is our official food standards and feed controls service plan
Page contents
- Aims and Objectives
- Background
- Demands and prioritisation
- Liaison with other organisations
- Food and animal feed safety and standards promotion
- Food surveys and Projects
- Organisational structure
- Enforcement information
- Quality assessment
- Review 2024/2025 activities
- Resources 2025/26
- Staff development plan.
1.Aims and objectives
Our service priorities
The Trading Standards service exists to:
- protect individuals, communities and businesses from harm and financial loss
- help businesses to thrive by maintaining a fair trading environment
- improve the health and wellbeing of people and communities
- fulfil our statutory responsibilities to deliver consumer and public protection services across Buckinghamshire and ßÙßÇÂþ»
Our key actions:
We will support the delivery of Buckinghamshire Council’s and ßÙßÇÂþ»’s strategic aims.
- Protecting the most vulnerable. Tackling fraudulent, illegal and unfair trading practices with a particular focus on activities to disrupt criminal activity.
- Enabling businesses to get the help and support they need to thrive and grow. Delivering public protection through proactive and reactive advice/information, supporting businesses to improve regulatory compliance and ensure a level playing field.
- Improving wellbeing and public health; tackling the supply of unsafe, dangerous or age restricted products and working to maintain the integrity of the food chain from farm to fork, including food quality, nutrition, and animal health.
These aims and objectives align with the
This means that: Food is safe , Food is what it says it is, Food is healthier and more sustainable. The work that we do will help support and deliver these outcomes within Buckinghamshire, ßÙßÇÂþ» and nationally through our ‘
For ‘animal feed’ work we will ensure that we follow the priorities identified in the FSA strategy, namely:
- Priority 1: Verification of effective implementation and maintenance of feed safety management systems
- Priority 2: Effective monitoring of feed on farms
- Priority 3: Effective monitoring of storage arrangements at feed premises
- Priority 4: Verification of the accuracy of feed labelling
- Priority 5: Effective monitoring of consignments of feed originating from non-EU countries, at points of entry
- ‘Food Hygiene Primary Production Priorities’
- Priority 6: Effective identification, registration and inspection of food businesses producing higher-risk fresh produce operating at the level of primary production
2. Background
The merged service was created in 2015 and is managed by a Joint Committee which comprises Cabinet Members and Directors from both authorities. The service covers the geographical areas of Buckinghamshire and ßÙßÇÂþ» although our ‘Primary Authority’ partnerships include businesses that have bases nationwide.
ßÙßÇÂþ»
ßÙßÇÂþ» is the most urbanised shire county in England with 83% of inhabitants living in urban areas and yet 73% of land in ßÙßÇÂþ» is green belt and 25% is designated as Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty. The County of ßÙßÇÂþ» is one of the most densely populated shire counties and is strongly influenced by its proximity to London. 85% of housing is in 15% of the county. 85% of the county is countryside, of which 38% is still farmed. Although ßÙßÇÂþ» is an affluent area, with earnings being 42% higher than the national average, it has areas which are disadvantaged and can be overlooked if specific measures are not taken. Business diversity is great, although there is little in terms of heavy industry. The population of ßÙßÇÂþ» in 2023 was 1,228,671.
Buckinghamshire
Buckinghamshire (excluding Milton Keynes) is a large rural county of 156,509 hectares close to London. The population was 566,700 in 2023. The county is one of contrasts - the north is predominantly rural, with small market towns, whilst the south is more urbanised. The two largest centres of population are urban areas encompassing the towns of Aylesbury and High Wycombe, with total populations of around 88,000 and 83,500 respectively. These urban areas accommodate nearly 40% of the total population. Over a quarter of Buckinghamshire is included within the Chilterns Area of Outstanding Beauty and a further third is protected as Metropolitan Green Belt, mostly in the south of the county. Within rural areas agriculture is the predominant land use, over 70% by area.
Business and the economy
We have established 89 Primary Authority relationships with food and feed related businesses and organisations and continue to raise awareness of this opportunity with other appropriate businesses. We further support our local businesses with access to a business advice helpline and dedicated business advice email address. Both Buckinghamshire and ßÙßÇÂþ» are areas of light industry and high commercial development. There are comparatively few large manufacturing premises, but we have the administrative and decision-making offices of some very substantial national and international food companies within the areas. These include such companies as Unilever, Premier Foods, Hovis Limited, Dairy Crest, and Kerry Foods. We also have partnerships with trade associations such as the Association of Convenience Stores and Health Food Manufacturers Association. There are a significant number of transient importers of foodstuffs who change at regular intervals in ßÙßÇÂþ» due to the proximity of the London airports.
Service background
Responsibility for food enforcement is shared between two tiers of local government - County Council, Unitary and District/Borough councils. Buckinghamshire became a unitary authority in 2020, and ßÙßÇÂþ» has eleven district/borough councils. Food liaison groups in Buckinghamshire and ßÙßÇÂþ» have representatives from each authority and there are forums to ensure appropriate coordination and cooperation on food issues. They meet regularly, every quarter. Trading Standards is responsible for food standards, which includes food composition, ingredients and labelling of food. The Unitary, District and Borough Councils’ Environmental Health services are responsible for matters of food safety, hygiene, cleanliness and the food borne causes of illness.
3.Demands and prioritisation
In 2024 to 2025, 168 complaints and requests for advice were received across the service about food and feed issues
These food contacts to the service are considered in the context of the risk rating of the food business. If the risk remains the same the contact will be noted as intelligence. In addition to this reactive demand, the Service carries out a similar proportion of proactive work in this area, which is described further in the Food Surveys and Projects section. This year we will plan to carry out interventions for food businesses assessed as being due a Priority Food intervention before April 2026. It should be noted that the projects will also involve a variety of interventions such as visits and sampling. We will also carry out the feed visits and sampling that have been agreed as part of the National Trading Standards regional coordinated work in line with the priorities in the FSA National Enforcement Strategy. These help to deliver the necessary interventions that nationally help to guarantee food and feed exports.
Profile of food premises in Buckinghamshire and ßÙßÇÂþ»
The Service follows the Food Standards Agency’s Food Standards Delivery Model which informs the way we can assess when a food business needs an ‘intervention’. ‘Interventions’ are activities designed to monitor, support, and improve food law compliance within food businesses, particularly those posing the greatest risk. These interventions aim to ensure food safety, tackle foodborne diseases, and promote a healthy food system. Interventions can be inspections, audits, sampling and other intel related activities.
This approach allows the risk for the food business to be changed within the year because of intelligence received and the need for an intervention, for example, if we receive information about an allergen issue, that usually makes the risk higher. This means that our risk profile of businesses will undoubtedly change during the year, and the anticipated intervention profile will change accordingly. The FSA’s risk matrix with intervention expectation is illustrated below. The Food Standards Agency are working with our information database provider to embed the new scheme into our electronic database but whilst this is under development we are using spreadsheets to identify our interventions.
| Inherent Risk | 5 | 12 Months | 24 Months | 60Months | 72 months | 120 Months |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 | Priority 6 Interventions Months | 12 Months | 36 Months | 48 Months | 72 Months | |
| 3 | Priority 6 Intervention Months | 12 Months | 24 Months | 36 Months | 60 Months | |
| 2 | Priority Intervention 3 Months | Priority Intervention 6 Months | 12 Months | 24 Months | 36 Months | |
| 1 | Priority Intervention 1 Month | Priority Intervention 3 Months | Priority Intervention 6 Months | 12 Months | 24 Months | |
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | ||
| Compliance Assessment |
On 1 April 2025:
Number of Food Businesses | 24,675 (We are averaging 120 new food businesses a month) |
|---|---|
Number of Manufacturers, Importers, Packers, and Processors | 431 |
Number of Food Businesses due a Priority intervention in 1 month | 1 |
Number of Food Businesses due a Priority intervention in 3 months | 26 |
Number of Food Businesses due a Priority intervention in 6 months | 50 |
Profile of animal feed premises in ßÙßÇÂþ» and Buckinghamshire
The National Trading Standards Board risk methodology determines the categories of ‘feed’ premises we should visit. This has shown that we will need to visit 89 premises in 2025/26. Of the 69 planned inland inspections and 20 high risk primary producer businesses, 29 will be carried out by our officers, and 60 will be carried out by the Trading Standards South East (TSSE) contractor/s. Of the 4 farm-based premises all 4 will be carried out by our officers.
4.Liaison with other organisations
We work in partnership with -
- Other parts of the Councils, in particular our colleagues in Public Health
- Central Government Agencies with responsibility for food standards (DEFRA; Food Standards Agency and Department of Health)
- Chartered Trading Standards Institute
- Buckinghamshire Environmental Health
- District Councils
- Business organisations
- Trading Standards South East (TSSE) - Food and Feed Focus Groups
- Other Local Authorities
- Food Liaison Groups
- Charitable organisations such as the Coeliac Society and Allergy UK
- Earned recognition schemes such as Red Tractor.
5. Food and animal feed safety and standards promotion
Our publicity programme will be targeted at promoting the findings of our work on issues impacting on the health, nutrition and economic welfare of consumers and providing both consumer and business education. We carry this out by:
- Business and consumer focused newsletters
- Social media
- Press releases and participating in interviews with the media
- Promoting and taking part in national and local campaigns
- Giving talks to consumer and business groups and organisations when appropriate
- Attending and participating in appropriate meetings and workshops at both local and national level
- Linking to national information sources such as FSA website or Business Companion website
6.Food surveys and projects
Each year officers undertake various projects where information is gained that can assist consumers to make informed choices, ensure a level playing field, and help businesses achieve compliance. Projects are based on intel from various sources including complaints to the service, the Food Standards Agency, and our Public Analyst. Unsatisfactory samples are brought to the attention of the businesses concerned and if necessary, follow up samples taken and in more serious cases possible enforcement action.
In 2024 to 2025, the following examples of projects were undertaken:
- ‘Allergens at Caterers’ – using intel to target businesses, we advised and checked allergen declarations in catering businesses. Of the 12 samples taken 33% were found unsatisfactory in relation to allergens. Educational work was undertaken with these businesses, and they are now correctly declaring allergen information.
- ‘Manky Mince’ - evaluating the level of fat, collagen/meat protein ratio and meat species of mince. Of the 12 samples taken, 1 sample had contamination with beef, 3 had unsatisfactory labelling.
- ‘Oil Rigged’ – we investigated the fat profiles of food and cooking oils to determine if any substitution may have taken place. 83% were unsatisfactory, mainly in relation to labelling. Of the unsatisfactory samples, 1 Sesame Oil was found to contain undeclared soya oil at likely 40%, and 1 Almond Oil was not found to be consistent with almond oil.
- ‘Double Glazed’ - to determine whether egg or milk had been used as a glaze and not declared on the labelling or allergen information. Of the 12 samples taken 5 were unsatisfactory. 80% of the unsatisfactory samples contained milk or egg that were undeclared.
- ‘How Nice is Your Spice’ – the project was to establish if the mycotoxins Aflatoxin and Ochratoxin A are present in samples of spices. If present, levels were quantified to determine if the sample was harmful to health. Of the 12 samples taken, 1 was found to be unsatisfactory. The sample was found to contain nearly 14 times the maximum permitted aflatoxin B1 and 8 times the maximum total aflatoxin amount.
- ‘Slushie drinks and Candy Floss’ – testing the level of artificial colours in candy floss and glycerol in slushie drinks, and whether businesses were following the Food Standards Agency guidance in relation to glycerol levels, as high levels can be harmful and potentially fatal for children. 1 sample of candy floss was found to be unsatisfactory in relation to artificial colours. No businesses were found to be displaying the warning about glycerol as advised by the FSA.
- ‘Food Standards Agency Imported food project’ – checking Sudan dyes in Spices, Aflatoxins in Peanuty Brittle, Aflatoxins in Rice flour and Colours in Pickled Vegetables.
Projects are based on issues that could affect consumers health:
- Checking allergens in a range of foods and environments, to ensure allergens are correctly controlled and declared, as non-declared allergens can be dangerous, potentially causing allergic reactions that range from mild to life-threatening. While some reactions are localized, such as itching, others can be systemic and severe, leading to anaphylaxis.
- Checking aflatoxin levels in nut products, as excess levels can be harmful, potentially causing severe health problems, including liver cancer. Aflatoxins are naturally produced toxins by certain moulds, through contaminated food, such as nuts, maize, rice, and other dried foods.
- Checking nutritional information, composition and adulteration in food to ensure consumers get what they pay for and aren’t misled.
Projects for 2025 to 2026:
- ‘Allergens in Kebab Houses’ – to check whether caterers are aware of the allergens present in the meat products that they sell, and whether allergens are correctly declared to consumers
- ‘Hidden Dairy Dangers’ – to check for the presence of undeclared milk in snack foods such as cocktail sausages, cereal bars, crisps etc.
- ‘No Hidden Surprises’ – to use a DNA technique to evaluate the meat species present in ‘pepperoni’ and ‘ham’ pizza toppings and check compliance with regards to labelling/menu descriptions given at the point of sale.
- ‘Chocy topping’ – to verify that the composition of the outer coating of chocolate-coated products, as well as chocolate decorations and cocoa powders, complies with the requirements of the reserved descriptions as set out in the Cocoa and Chocolate Products Regulations 2003. This ensures that the names used for these products are accurate and permitted under the regulations.
- ‘Aflatoxin Alert’ - to establish if aflatoxins are present in retail samples of nuts. If present, levels will be quantified to determine if the sample is harmful to health.
- ‘Hidden harm’ – to check for the presence of Ochratoxin A, in bakery products, cereal snacks and breakfast cereals, and to assess levels detected against current EU contaminant legislative requirements and associated UK law.
- ‘Cashew uncovered’ – to check for the presence of undeclared cashew in ethnic sauces and takeaway meals.
7. Organisational structure
Buckinghamshire and ßÙßÇÂþ» Trading Standards Service is governed through a Joint Committee comprising of the relevant Cabinet Members from both partner authorities. The Service also has an advisory Board comprising of councillors and senior managers from each authority. The legal framework for the Service is set out in an Inter Authority Agreement. The service operates from two locations, one in Aylesbury and one in Reigate.
8. Enforcement information
The Service has a documented Enforcement Policy - this is available on our website: Trading Standards enforcement policy - ßÙßÇÂþ».
9. Quality assessment
The joint service is continuing to develop work systems and practices that will enable the best outcomes to be delivered. Officers have scheduled meetings with their line manager where their work is reviewed, plus regular team meetings where officers can discuss current food issues, training needs, and areas for improvement. There is also a performance review framework in place and reporting mechanisms to monitor against the service business plan and Key Performance Indicators.
10. Review of 2024 to 2025 activities
All 6 Hampshire and Kent Public Analyst projects we committed to were delivered and non-compliances addressed with the relevant food businesses. The Service also took part in a Food Standards Agency targeted sampling project looking at Imported Foods. The Service carried out 232 ‘interventions’ prioritised using the new risk scheme (this excludes informal sampling or test purchase visits). The Food Standards Delivery Model approach means that the number of Priority Interventions continually changes throughout the year, to address the businesses assessed as posing greatest risk. We seized body building food supplements found to contain Selective Androgen Receptor Modulators (SARMS) an unauthorised novel food which may cause a range of problems including an increased risk of heart attack or stroke, psychosis and hallucinations, sexual dysfunction and infertility, and liver failure.
11.Resources for 2025 to 2026
Officers (Full-Time Equivalent) | Food work | Animal feed work | Totals |
|---|---|---|---|
Operational | 3 | 0.7 | 3.7 |
Managerial | 0.5 | 0.1 | 0.6 |
Support | 0.1 | 0.1 | 0.2 |
Totals | 3.6 | 0.9 | 4.5 |
Costs | Food work | Animal feed work | Totals |
|---|---|---|---|
Staff costs (including overheads) | £185,760 | £46,440 | £232,200 |
Project and sampling costs | £25,000 | £5,000 | £30,000 |
Total costs | £210,760 | £51,440 | £262,200 |
12.Staff development plan
Authorised food and feed officers are qualified in accordance with Food Standards Agency Food and Feed Codes of Practice. We operate a staff performance conversation scheme where managers work closely with officers to enable us to identify training needs and provide ongoing training. These needs may be met by coaching within the day-to-day activities or through internal or external training provision. All officers are members of the Chartered Trading Standards Institute (CTSI) and as such undertake Continuous Personal and Professional Development which is CTSI verified. We currently have three members of staff studying food standards as part of their Level 6 Trading Standards Apprenticeship and another taking the feed module. We also have one officer currently taking the Trading Standards Practitioner Diploma food paper with the aim of being food qualified early next year. Where significant changes to food or enforcement law or food technology occur, relevant training will be identified and provided by one of the means above.