No prosecutions despite food hygiene recorded breaches

Twenty businesses agreed to close to address risks

There hasn't been a single food hygiene prosecutions in the last five years.

Environment, Food and Agriculture Minister Clare Barber released the information having promised to do so during a June House of Keys sitting. 

Mrs Barber said this is largely due to staff having 'worked closely with businesses to secure compliance through education and advice'.

She did however add: "The team have advised that over the last five years, 20 businesses have agreed to voluntarily close to address imminent risks to health identified during our food hygiene inspections. 

"Three businesses have voluntarily surrendered food that was either unfit for consumption or lacked appropriate traceability and many others have voluntarily disposed of food where we could otherwise have exercised our formal powers to seize or detain it prior to disposal."

In addition to this, two food businesses received written warnings where evidence of smoking in no-smoking premises was identified.

Over the past five years, DEFA issued 56 hygiene improvement notices, 10 health and safety prohibition notices, three food information regulations improvement notices, two remedial action notices, two local authority abatement notices and one DEFA abatement notice.

Mrs Barber is seeking re-election in Douglas East, also standing is: Joney Faragher, Andrew Forster, Dave Mackey and Andy Saunders.