The Contaminants in Food (Scotland) Regulations 2009

Application of various sections of the Food Safety Act 1990

5.—(1) The following provisions of the Act shall apply for the purposes of these Regulations, with the modification that any reference in those provisions to the Act or Part thereof shall be construed as a reference to these Regulations–

(a) section 3 (presumptions that food intended for human consumption);

(b) section 20 (offences due to fault of another person);

(c) section 21 (defence of due diligence), as it applies for the purposes of section 14 (selling food not of the nature or substance or quality demanded) or 15 (falsely describing or presenting food);

(d) section 30(8) (which relates to documentary evidence);

(e) section 33 (obstruction etc. of officers);

(f) section 35(1) to (3) (punishment of offences), insofar as it relates to offences under section 33(1) and (2), as applied by sub–paragraph (e) of this regulation;

(g) section 36 (offences by bodies corporate);

(h) section 36A (offences by Scottish partnerships); and

(i) section 44 (protection of officers acting in good faith).

(2) Subject to paragraph (3), section 9 of the Act (inspection and seizure of suspected food) shall apply for the purposes of these Regulations as if it read as follows–

“9.— (1) An authorised officer of a food authority may at all reasonable times inspect any food intended for human consumption which has been placed on the market and subsections (2) to (7) below shall apply where, on such an inspection, it appears to the authorised officer that the placing on the market of any food fails to comply with the requirements specified in regulation 3(2)(a) and (c) of the Contaminants in Food (Scotland) Regulations 2009 (“the Community requirements”).

(2) The authorised officer may either–

(a) give notice to the person in charge of the food that, until the notice is withdrawn, the food or any specified portion of it–

(i) is not to be used for human consumption; and

(ii) either is not to be removed or is to be removed to a place at which there are facilities to carry out sampling in the manner required by law; or

(b) seize the food and remove it in order to have it dealt with by the sheriff.

(3) Where the authorised officer exercises the power conferred by subsection (2)(a) above, that officer shall, as soon as is reasonably practicable and in any event within 21 days, determine whether or not the food complies with the Community requirements and–

(a) if satisfied that it does comply, shall forthwith withdraw the notice;

(b) if not so satisfied, shall seize the food and remove it in order to have it dealt with by the sheriff.

(4) Where an authorised officer exercises the powers conferred by subsection (2)(b) or (3)(b) above, that officer shall inform the person in charge of the food of the intention to have it dealt with by the sheriff, and any person who in connection with regulation 3(2)(a) or (c) of the Contaminants in Food (Scotland) Regulations 2009 might be liable to prosecution in respect of the food shall, if attending before the sheriff by whom the food falls to be dealt with, be entitled to be heard and to call witnesses.

(5) If it appears to the sheriff, on the basis of such evidence as the sheriff considers appropriate in the circumstances, that any food falling to be dealt with under this section fails to comply with the Community requirements, the sheriff shall condemn the food and order–

(a) the food to be destroyed or to be so disposed of as to prevent it from being used for human consumption; and

(b) any expenses reasonably incurred in connection with the destruction or disposal to be defrayed by the owner of the food.

(6) If a notice under subsection (2)(a) above is withdrawn, or the sheriff by whom any food falls to be dealt with under this section refuses to condemn it, the food authority shall compensate the owner of the food for any depreciation in its value resulting from the action taken by the authorised officer.

(7) Any disputed question as to the right to or the amount of any compensation payable under subsection (6) above shall be determined by a single arbiter appointed, failing agreement between the parties, by the sheriff.

(8) Any person who knowingly contravenes the requirements of a notice under subsection (2)(a) above shall be guilty of an offence and liable on summary conviction to a fine not exceeding level 5 on the standard scale.”.

(3) The expression “authorised officer” which is used in section 9 of the Act so far as it applies for the purposes of these Regulations by virtue of paragraph (2), shall, for those purposes, bear the meaning that that expression bears in these Regulations.