Food Sampling

The food team perform a number of different sampling duties including:

• Private water supplies
• Milk
• Food
• Swimming Pools
• Fluoride in main water supplies
• School meals
  

Why Do we Sample?

We sample to ensure that the food and water that you consume is safe, in accordance with the appropriate legislation. We also sample to ensure that the products you purchase are correctly labelled and that they contain the ingredients they are supposed to (e.g. manufacturers claims).

There are 2 main types of sampling;

• Informal sampling (surveillance)
• Formal sampling

The majority of samples are informal. Informal sampling is mainly a surveillance exercise where samples are either purchased anonymously or by agreement with the proprietor. No formal action can be taken if the informal samples are found to be incorrect. Where informal sampling reveals a problem, this can be followed up either by giving advice to the proprietor and re-sampling informally or by sampling formally. Formal sampling can result in legal action been taken.

For further information please contact the Food Safety Team on 01789 260832 or by email at food@stratford-dc.gov.uk or by fax on 01789 260808