Food law issues ‘were not heard’

CIEH has said it is disappointed that many of the issues it raised regarding the shake-up of food law have not been taken on board by the Food Standards Agency (FSA).

The FSA published its revised food law code of practice and introduced a competency framework for England and Northern Ireland earlier this month. The equivalent consultation in Wales consultation has also now closed.

CIEH added that it has been working with the FSA to ensure CIEH qualifications were in line with the new rules and worked with existing qualifications.

CIEH’s director for Wales, Kate Thompson, said the organisation was disappointed that many issues in its consultation response were not taken on board. She added: “We are keen to continue our engagement with members to understand the impact of the changes and whether they deliver the stated outcomes.”

Jon Buttolph, CIEH’s head of membership, said: “We have worked extensively with the FSA to ensure that our qualifications align with their new requirements, and on mapping our existing qualifications to their competency framework. We will continue to work with employers to meet their needs and ensure that practitioners have the skillset that is required in an evolving landscape.”