Environmental Health
Our service
We aim to provide a customer focused Environmental Health
Service which responds to the needs of our customers in a fair,
equitable and consistent manner within our legal framework and
resources.
Services we provide
Prevention or control of:
- food poisoning, food and water borne
illness
- sale of unfit food
- ill health caused by air pollution
- ill health due to contaminated water
supplies
- noise pollution
- public health nuisance
- unsafe and unhealthy working conditions
- unsatisfactory environmental health conditions
using licensing and registration
- harm due to contaminated land
This is done by a combination of enforcement and advice. When
enforcement is necessary we aim to do this in a manner which is
open, helpful, consistent and appropriate to the risk involved.
Fees and Charges
Some of our services are chargeable. Please see
Environmental Health pages in our
fees and charges.
National Food Hygiene Rating Scheme
Allerdale Borough Council join the National Food Hygiene Rating
Scheme on 26 March 2012 which replaces the Scores on the
Doors initiative set up in 2007. The Food Standards Agency operate
the scheme in partnership with all Local Authorities.
Ratings are calculated according to the level of compliance
demonstrated with food hygiene and safety law, the structural
condition of premises and confidence in management
controls/procedures. The rating awarded will illustrate how
well businesses perform overall ranging from 0 - Urgent improvement
necessary to 5 - Very good. Businesses are rated
following an inspection by a Food Safety Officer.
Further information can be
found in our section on the National Food Hygiene Rating Scheme.
Simple Steps to Less Saturated Fat
As you may have seen on the television, the Food Standards
Agency is launching a major campaign to encourage UK consumers to
take positive steps in reducing saturated fat intake.
Evidence shows that in the UK we are eating 20% more saturated
fat than is recommended, which could lead to a build up of fatty
deposits in the arteries that supply the heart. This can put you at
greater risk of heart disease and heart attacks, which reduce the
quality of life for those living with the illness and, in worst
cases, are fatal.
The campaign aims to reduce our saturated fat intake by
encouraging us all to make little practical changes to the way we
shop, cook and eat, such as simply eating chicken without the skin,
grating cheese instead of slicing so you eat less of it, and using
sunflower or olive oil instead of butter when cooking. The campaign
will also remind people to compare labels and choose the option
that is lower in saturated fat as another simple way to reduce the
amount of saturated fat in their diet.
For more information and simple tips on how to reduce the amount
of saturated fat you eat visit the Eat Well website.
Caterers can look at the FSA's
healthy catering advice page to see how food businesses can
provide healthier food for their customers.
Change4Life
Take the first steps towards getting yourself or your kids
eating well, moving more and living longer by visiting www.nhs.uk/change4life/
Healthy Start Vouchers
With Healthy Start you can get free vouchers every week which
you then swap for fresh fruit, fresh vegetables, milk and infant
formula milk. Women and children on the scheme are also entitled to
free vitamins.
Pregnant or have children under 4?
You could qualify if you are on benefits or pregnant and under
18.
For further information on Healthy Start Vouchers, how to apply
and where you can use them please visit http://www.healthystart.nhs.uk/
Listeria - Safe Storage of Sliced Cooked Meats
A 2007 survey by environmental health units and the Health
Protection Agency in the north west found a small percentage of
freshly sliced cooked meats to be contaminated with low levels of
listeria monocytogenes on their day of purchase.
A leaflet providing straightforward information on the safe
storage of sliced cooked meats and the press release issued by
Health Protection Agency North West can be downloaded at the bottom
of this page. The principal advice is to consume cooked sliced
meats within 2 days of purchase. To view more guidance on listeria
for retailers and consumers please see the downloadable documents
section of the Food Hygiene Information
Leaflets page of this website.
'Illicit Tobacco
Despite being seen as a victimless crime by some, the trade in
illegal tobacco is something that we should all be concerned
about.
It is reported that illegal tobacco is responsible for four
times as many deaths as drugs, and that 4,000 fewer people would
die each year from smoking related illnesses in the UK if tobacco
smuggling were wiped out.
And because illegal cigarettes are far cheaper - up to half the
price of legal ones - they make it easier for children to take up
the habit, encourage people to smoke more, and make it harder for
smokers to quit.
To find out more about the danger of illicit tobacco click
on http://get-some-answers.co.uk/
Customer Feedback
To improve the quality of our service regular customer surveys
are carried out in a confidential manner. Please see the
Customer Feedback page for details.