It has been revealed that 247 food serving, making or selling premises are currently uninspected on the Isle of Wight, meaning they are operating without any indication as to their food hygiene rating.
The issue has been highlighted by the internal auditor of the Isle of Wight Council, who said the authority is not fully meeting the requirements of the Food Standards Agency (FSA) regarding the frequency of inspecting food establishments.
The FSA has, however, said it is assured by the Council’s service and its plans to carry on. The food safety body specifies how long there should be between inspections — ranging from 6 months to every 3 years — based on their risk rating.
In a report to the audit and governance committee on Monday (31st July), auditors said while the Council is complying with requirements for ‘high-risk’ premises, it was not in other categories and has not inspected all of the properties it was due to.
Speaking at the committee meeting, Elizabeth Goodwin, the Council’s chief internal auditor, said the FSA was ‘pretty comfortable’ with the Council’s approach, prioritising the high-risk places.
Councillor Vanessa Churchman said she was seriously concerned about the backlog situation, as the Island has an economy made from tourism and the negative publicity of a food poisoning story would not be favourable. There is a robust action plan in place to rectify it moving forward, Ms Goodwin said, but like other areas, there was a struggle to appoint qualified officers.
In the audit report, it is said the FSA was assured by the comprehensive service plan in place to distribute resources effectively. Councillor Gary Peace said it was an item of concern when he was in the previous Conservative cabinet so he understood the pressures but would like to know whether the action plans are progressing.
Current cabinet member in charge, Councillor Karen Lucioni, said the team was affected by multiple factors, including the COVID pandemic — when people and money into the service were diverted away from it — but there are now more officers in training to help catch up with the lower-rated categories.
Make sure you check out the rural pubs, one in particular is pretty disgusting, the one in wroxall, piles of rubbish in the car park. Many others are just as bad too. Rural eateries think they can hide, so come on inspect them.
Simple solution, just don’t eat your meals in the pub’s car park!
The flies around that pub are a problem too. Probably a health hazard.
Excuse me but the piles of rubbish in the car park are local residents.
What do you mean exactly?
When will they stop blaming covid.
Brexit, COVID, being an Island, and most recently inflation. They’re all ready made excuses for poor management and planning. It’s not good enough.
What next, “Aw, I’ve got poor mental health”. People with PTSD and other long-term mental health conditions find those excuses patronising. The COVID excuse is becoming a joke.
So many businesses since the Plandemic have increased their prices by too much.
Many places charging £3.00+for miniature cups of coffee
£2.00+ for mugs of tea and £3.50+ for an handful of chips.
Sandwiches £9.00+
Many of these establishments are milking it.
I know their bills have gone up etc, but so have ours.
Does not surprise me on this lawless zero Health and Safety Island.
Check out the new coffee stall at Seaview. Great hand wash and cash going through the fingers. No thanks.
Yes and who bakes the cakes. What is the kitchen like.
HUNDREDS OF ISLAND ESTABLISHMENTS HAVE NOT BEEN INSPECTED FOR FOOD HYGIENE…… you sound surprised this is controlled by the Isle of Wight council you know they are too busy spending millions on taxis and the floating bridge
Well get them inspected then. That’s your job.
Don’t bleat about money and how you haven’t got the staff.
Covid is just a smoke screen, that was the time for all those places to CLEAN UP when they had staff and no customers.
Why would it stop the team for inspecting they could have worn a mask and checked everything was in order and instead of furloughing people had them clean up the place, paint, wash down, fix up.
Its an excuse get on with it.
Leave the 5 and 4 star establishmentsfor a while as they regularly attain their results and concentrate on the others.Open up a telephone hot line to report poor conditions etc.
Have to agree with the comments about the pub in Wroxall, the outside area is a disgrace, does make you wonder what the inside is like
Council stop inspecting
People stop eating in them
Business closes due to no custom
Council loses money on tax
Sounds like an isle of wight council money losing scheme, a bit like their properties not on the isle of wight.
These inspections don’t seem to make much difference anyway. That recent report by IE on the squalid conditions in House of Spice in Shanklin hasn’t put people off. It is still rammed at the weekend. Restaurants should be compelled to put a copy of their latest inspection report on their front door. That would make people think twice before risking their health.
“Restaurants should be compelled to put a copy of their latest inspection report on their front door”
in wales &NI, they are!.
Why not in England,.. sounds like the usual conservative government cop-out..
“we don’t want to over legislate, or it might affect the amount of money rich people can take from the poor”…
Only compulsory to display the hygiene rating/score on the door in NI. They should display the entire report. Usually only a page or two.