Food Safety
The Hull & Goole Port Health Authority is responsible for checking food safety and sanitation standards on board vessels arriving within the district. Shore-based food businesses such as dockside canteens and warehouses are also within the scope of our enforcement duties.
The Food Hygiene (Ships & Aircraft) Order 2003 applies the same Food Safety & Hygiene Regulations 2013 (SI 2013/2996) as are applicable to shore-based food businesses.
UK legislation is available on the Office of Public Sector Information website www.opsi.gov.uk
Our Port Health Inspectors (EHOs) carry out programmed sanitation and food hygiene inspections of vessels and premises within our area. This is done on a risk-assessed basis according to the Code of Practice issued by the Food Standards Agency. The focus is on the prevention of food poisoning outbreaks.
Ship inspection data will be shared, confidentially, between port health authorities. Inspection reports may also be published.
Service requests for new Ship Sanitation Certificates should be addressed directly to the office, in advance of the ships arrival if possible.
Our Inspectors are trained to give advice on good practice and compliance with the law and can be contacted at the Hull office.
The Regulations require that all food businesses in our area must register with the Authority before trading commences. This enables an up-to-date list of all premises subject to regular risk-based inspection.
We are also the enforcement authority for the approval and inspection of 1 large commercial cold store together with several factory and freezer fishing vessels registered in Hull.
We have responsibility for the inspection of any fishery products fish landed at Hull Docks from fishing vessels.
We can issue Export verification Certificates for food products on request. There will be a charge for this service. Please contact the office in advance with service requests.
We have a programme of water, ice and prepared food sampling from vessels, premises and supply hydrants. Most of these are examined by our PHE microbiologist.
Ships water samples, including Legionella samples, taken at the request of the ship may be the subject of a small charge and we supply a certificated report. For further details or advice please contact us.
The Authority has a Food Safety Enforcement Service Plan, Food Enforcement Policy and Food Complaints Procedure. We also have a documented General Enforcement Policy and a policy for dealing with any complaints regarding the standard of our service. These documents are available for downloading on the "OUR SERVICE" web page.
