Food Standards Agency funded local authority grants for food hygiene and nutrition initiatives - Jackie Spencer Microbiological Safety Division ...

Food Standards Agency funded
 local authority grants for food
hygiene and nutrition initiatives
          Jackie Spencer
   Microbiological Safety Division
      Food Standards Agency

Food Standards Agency
           Factual, Core Values
• UK wide body
• Non-ministerial Government Department
• Set up by Food Standards Act 1999 from
  DH & MAFF
• 3 core values
• Remit ‘from farm to fork’

Foodborne Disease Strategy
A wide-ranging programme of work carried out
  over a five-year period to:
   • Reduce microbial contamination of foods;
   • Promote better food safety management and
     practice;
   • Promote hygienic preparation of food
     commercially and in the home

FSA Strategic Plans
• In the Strategic Plan 2000-2005 there was
  a target to “reduce foodborne illness by
  20% by April 2006”
• In the Strategic Plan 2005-2010 there is a
  target to “reduce foodborne disease
  further” concentrating on “..support for
  local food safety initiatives”

4Cs Strategy
•   The 4Cs of food hygiene are:
•   Cleaning
•   Cooking
•   Chilling
•   Cross contamination
•   7 stakeholder meetings were held
    throughout the UK in 2005 to develop the
    4Cs Strategy

Background

• The FSA supports local food initiatives and
  offers grants to local authorities to support
  such work
• Food hygiene grants started in 2003
• Nutrition added to grant scheme in 2005
• To date 52 grants given in England
• To date 22 grants given in Scotland

Background cont.
• Grants are available to local authorities,
  trading standards regional groups and
  food liaison groups
• In 2007/8 the grants scheme is being run
  UK wide

Focus – food hygiene and nutrition
             (healthy eating)
•     The Agency’s national Food Hygiene Campaign centres on the
      4Cs for good hygiene (Cleaning, Cooking, Chilling and Cross-
      contamination). Initiatives that focus on raising hygiene
      awareness in the home and amongst vulnerable groups will be
      particularly welcome.
•
      The Agency’s main nutritional messages focus around the
      balance of good health. It is seeking to promote activities that will
      reduce intakes of fat (particularly saturated fat), salt and sugar
      and encourage increased consumption of fruit and vegetables as
      well as starchy foods (especially wholegrain foods) and fish,
      including oily fish.

Grants in Yorkshire and
                Humberside
• To date 8 grants have been made in the Yorkshire &
  Humberside area:

•   East Yorkshire (2003/4)
•   Bradford (2003/4)
•   Bradford (2004/5)
•   Wakefield (2004/5)
•   Sheffield (2004/5)
•   Doncaster (2004/5)
•   Leeds – Food Desert (2005/6)
•   Leeds – Market Stall (2005/6)

Grants in 2006/7
•   12 grants were made in 2006/7. Applications for grants were between
    £5000 - £15000. These were to:

•   Birmingham City Council
•   Bristol City Council
•   Chelmsford Borough Council
•   Environmental Health Training Consortium
•   Exeter City Council
•   Kent Trading Standards & Kent Scientific Services
•   Mid Devon District Council
•   Northamptonshire County Council
•   Shepway District Council
•   Somerset County Council
•   Sunderland City Council
•   Wyre Forest District Council

Example summaries of projects
• Birmingham City Council 2006/7 -are offering cooking
  courses aimed at teenagers 14+ and young parents on
  low incomes.

• Oldham Metropolitan Borough Council 2005/6 -
  produced a video aimed at 11-16 year olds of a food
  safety play ‘2 Many Cooks’

• Westminster City Council 2004/5 – a pantomime to
  demonstrate how poor food handling can lead to food
  poisoning and how this can be avoided through the use
  of good food handling practices.

Grants in 2007/8
• UK wide
• Applications for grants up to £10k
• Invitations sent out, e-mailed and published on
  website in early March
• Closing date 20 April (today)
• Informed whether successful by 8 June
• Projects to start from mid June 07 – March 08
• [Food Safety Week is 11-15 June
  2007]

Assessment Criteria
• All proposals submitted for funding have to
  follow a strict criteria:-
• Aims and objectives
• Delivery and timetable
• Target audience, reach and scope
• Partnerships
• Excellence, innovation, creativity, sustainability
• Evaluation measures

Mission:Possible
• Project from Wyre Borough Council given an FSA grant
  in 2003/4
• Rolled out by the FSA UK wide in March 2007
• 3 local authorities in Yorkshire and Humberside have
  received the kits -
• City of Wakefield MDC
• Kingston upon Hull City Council
• Doncaster MBC

Foodvision
• Acts as a portal for local authorities who
  want ideas and information about health &
  wellbeing initiatives
• supported by LACORS, FSA and LGA
• www.foodvision.gov.uk

Summary
• Evaluation shows the scheme is well known and popular
  with numerous good local initiatives
• Outputs are being catalogued by the Agency with a view
  to making them more widely available
• Many local initiatives are being put on the Foodvision
  website so that other local authorities may use them
• One project (Mission:Possible!) is being rolled out in
  spring 2007 to 50 Local authorities UK wide on a pilot
  basis by the Agency
• Grants have been made to Local Authorities in all parts
  of England

Regional Presence
• FSA has a regional presence in 4
  Government Offices for the Regions:

•   GOSE
•   GOSW
•   GONW
•   GOEM

Thanks
• Thanks and I hope you have submitted an
  application for a grant