From : Food Standards Agency.

New Web Portal Specially Designed For Food Law Enforcers, September 2003

The Food Standards Agency put out a press release regarding their new Web Portal on 23 September 2003. The text is given below.

"The Food Standards Agency today launches a new website portal to help food law enforcers carry out their work more effectively and easily.

The portal, located on the Agency's website, will serve as an online one-stop shop, giving access to all the essential information about food law enforcement. It has been specially designed after extensive consultation with local authorities and other stakeholders about how to better serve the needs of enforcers.

For greater ease of access, the portal brings together in one place all the existing enforcement information, which was previously located at various places across the Agency's website, as well as providing new information and services tailored to their needs. The site was launched at the Chartered Institute of Environmental Health's (CIEH) annual conference in Belfast today.

David Statham, the Food Standards Agency's Director of Enforcement and Food Standards, said: "We hope that this portal will make it much easier for enforcers to find whatever it is they need in the click of a mouse. We will be bringing more information and services online as they become available, and we're really keen to hear from users about any suggestions they have for improving the service."

The portal, which can be found at www.food.gov.uk/enforcement/, is now up and running. New features of the site include a guide to food law, with live links to the regulations, and links to other useful websites. The Agency is also planning to launch a new section on imported food in the next few weeks, with useful information for consumers and food businesses, as well as enforcers. The portal has been designed to be user friendly, with information grouped under 13 useful headings and an A-Z subject directory. Subjects covered include food alerts, HACCP, audits, food sampling, approval and licensing and the Framework Agreement on Local Authority Enforcement.

Notes to editors :-

1. The site is open to all web users.
2. Enforcers can give feedback on the portal from the site or by contacting David Berrecloth on :-
   email: david.berrecloth@foodstandards.gsi.gov.uk
   tel: 020 7276 8591
   fax: 020 7276 8447"