TRADERS across south Essex were slapped with written warnings on food hygiene issues more than 750 times last year, figures have revealed.

The Food Standards Agency carries out planned visits to businesses across England, Wales and Northern Ireland to ensure they are complying with food safety and hygiene laws.

Data from the Food Standards Agency shows that 544 informal written warnings were handed out to food businesses across Southend in 2019-20, while a further 179 and 149 cautions were given to Basildon and Canvey establishments respectively.

Inspectors took formal enforcement action against Southend traders on 53 occasions, including one voluntary closure, 47 seizures of food not fit for consumption and five hygiene improvement notices.

Two hygiene improvement notices were dished out to Basildon firms, while there were two voluntary closures and a hygiene improvement notice distributed on Canvey.

SEE ALSO

If a business is not meeting requirements, the Food Standards Agency can take a range of actions, from informal steps such as advice and guidance or a written warning, to closure or even prosecution in the most serious cases.

Any potential breach of food hygiene regulations can prompt an informal warning, including problems with cleanliness, record keeping and separation of cooked and raw foods.

Officials consider the seriousness of the case, as well as the co-operation of the business, before deciding on what further action to take.

Restaurants and caterers make up the majority of businesses inspected nationally, but any establishment which handles unpacked food, including farms and manufacturers, can be subject to a visit from the Food Standards Agency.

In total, 151,300 written warnings were handed out across England, Wales and Northern Ireland last year, and 4,800 formal enforcement actions were taken.

While the latest figures only cover a small period of the coronavirus pandemic, the Food Standards Agency said the crisis created "unprecedented challenges for local authorities in delivering their statutory food functions”, with councils advised to postpone some planned inspections during the first national lockdown period.

Maria Jennings, director of regulatory compliance at the Food Standards Agency, said: “Whilst the latest figures are not dissimilar to those from in 2018-19, we acknowledge that Covid-19 has clearly created significant pressures on local authorities since the end of March.”

A planned radical overhaul of the way food businesses are regulated has also been affected by the pandemic, the agency added.

A pilot study to help establish new policies and standards was due to begin this year, but has been postponed until 2021 as a result of the pandemic.