Aircraft and ships will shortly be required to maintain the same levels of hygiene and food safety as other food premises, following a new government order to come into force from the 18 August 2003.
The Food Safety (Ships and Aircraft) (England and Scotland) Order 2003 specifies that aircraft and ships will now be considered 'premises' for the purposes of sections 2, 3, 29, 32, and 50 of the Food Safety Act 1990. Food aboard such vessels will therefore be presumed to be for human consumption and sale, and will be subject to the same standards as other food premises, explains law firm Berwin Leighton Paisner.
In addition, powers of entry, and sampling powers found in the Act will now apply. Until now, Local Authority enforcement bodies have had to rely on voluntary arrangements with ship and aircraft operators in order to carry out inspections.
The new powers will allow enforcement officers to ascertain whether food brought into the UK contravenes the food hygiene requirements. The Order also extends the application of the Food Safety (General Food Hygiene) Regulations 1995 and the Food Safety (Temperature Control) Regulations 1995 to ships and aircraft, and will enable enforcement officers to make prohibition orders and emergency prohibition orders.
Airlines and shipping companies will now need to ensure that their hygiene and food safety systems meet the requirements of food safety legislation. As such, a review of present systems is being recommended to ensure compliance with the hygiene and temperature control regulations.
In addition, companies will also need to ensure that suppliers meet these standards, which the government warns may require changes to be made to the way in which suppliers are appointed and audited.
A copy of the Order is available at the following link.