The Food Additives, Flavourings, Enzymes and Extraction Solvents (England) Regulations 2013

PART 4 Administration and enforcement

Competent authorities

15.  The competent authority for the purpose of Article 7 of Regulation 2065/2003 is the Food Standards Agency.

Enforcement authorities

16.  It is the duty of each food authority within its area or district to execute and enforce these Regulations and the EU Regulations.

Offences and penalties

17.—(1) Any person who contravenes regulation 12 or 13(1) commits an offence.

(2) Any person guilty of an offence under regulation 3, 4, 5, 6, 7(4) or 17(1) is liable on summary conviction to a fine not exceeding level 5 on the standard scale.

Condemnation of food

18.  Where any food is certified by a food analyst as being food which it is an offence to place on the market, that food shall be treated for the purposes of section 9 of the Act (under which food may be seized and destroyed under an order of a justice of the peace) as failing to comply with food safety requirements.

Application of various provisions of the Food Safety Act 1990

19.—(1) The following provisions of the Act apply for the purposes of these Regulations with the modification that any reference in those provisions to the Act or Part of it is to be construed as a reference to these Regulations —

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

(b) section 21 (defence of due diligence)(1) with the modification that —

(i) subsections (2) to (4) shall apply in relation to an offence under regulation 3, 4, 5, 6, 7(4) or 17(1) as they apply in relation to an offence under section 14 or 15, and

(ii) in subsection (4) the references to “sale” are deemed to include references to “placing on the market”;

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

(d) section 35(1) (punishment of offences)(2), in so far as it relates to offences under section 33(1) as applied by paragraph (2)(b);

(e) section 35(2) and (3)(3), in so far as it relates to offences under section 33(2) as applied by paragraph (2)(c);

(f) section 36 (offences by bodies corporate); and

(g) section 36A (offences by Scottish partnerships)(4).

(2) The following provisions of the Act apply for the purposes of these Regulations with the modification that any reference in those provisions to the Act is to be construed as including a reference to the EU Regulations and these Regulations —

(a) section 3 (presumption that food is intended for human consumption) with the modification that the references to “sold” and “sale” are deemed to include references to “placed on the market” and “placing on the market” respectively;

(b) section 33(1) (obstruction etc. of officers);

(c) section 33(2), with the modification that the reference to “any such requirement as is mentioned in subsection (1)(b) above” is deemed to be a reference to any such requirement as is mentioned in that subsection as applied by sub-paragraph (b); and

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

(3) Section 34 of the Act (time limit for prosecutions) applies to offences under these Regulations as it applies to offences punishable under section 35(2) of the Act.

(1)

Section 21 was amended by S.I. 2004/3279.

(2)

Section 35(1) is amended by the Criminal Justice Act 2003 (2003 c.44), Schedule 26, paragraph 42, from a date to be appointed.

(3)

Section 35(3) was amended by S.I. 2004/3279.

(4)

Section 36A was inserted by the Food Standards Act 1999 (1999 c.28), Schedule 5, paragraph 16.