Audit & Monitoring

Food Standards Scotland audits Local Authority food and feed enforcement activities and publishes reports of our findings.

Audits of Local Authorities

All Local Authorities across the UK are subject to the audit process, with the FSA in England, Wales and Northern Ireland co-ordinating their own audit programme.

Audits of Local Authorities’ food law enforcement services are part of Food Standards Scotland arrangements to improve consumer protection and confidence in relation to food. The enforcement of UK food law relating to food safety, hygiene, composition, labelling and imported food is largely the responsibility of local authorities across the UK.

The current programme of audits focus on the authority’s capacity and capability for delivering official controls. The audit process assess the Local Authority’s arrangements for meeting certain operational criteria, particularly on staffing related issues, registration and approval of food business operators, enforcement actions, interventions, procedures for carrying out official controls and transparency about enforcement activities.

Colour-coded assurance outcome categories were added to the audit process in Scotland to make our assessment easier to interpret. Green and yellow categories are ‘Substantial Assurance’, with robust and well-managed controls, and ‘Reasonable Assurance’, with adequate controls, respectively. Amber and red categories are ‘Limited Assurance’ and ‘Insufficient Assurance’ for weak, and notably weak controls respectively.

Following the audit, Local Authorities are expected to draft an action plan and implement time-bound corrective and preventative action to address any weaknesses identified, and support any necessary improvement.

Capacity and Capability Audit Reports

Capacity and Capability - 790 - Stirling Council

Capacity and Capability - 787 - East Renfrewshire Council

Capacity and Capability - 767 - Scottish Borders Council

Audit Documents

Capacity and Capability Audit - Audit Brief and Plan (FSS/ENF/16/014)

Food Standards Scotland Local Authority Audit Programme 2022-2023 (FSS/ENF/22/010)

Capacity and Capability Checklists - Regulation (EU) 2017/625