Food law and enforcement

The Food Law Code of Practice for Northern Ireland sets out how local councils must enforce food law and how they should work with food business operators. Local councils must follow all relevant provisions of the code when carrying out enforcement activity. 

The code is regularly reviewed and updated to:

• reflect changes in legislation
• reduce unnecessary administrative burdens
• maintain standards of public health and consumer protection

Recent revisions of the code introduced a more risk-based approach, allowing councils to focus resources on food businesses that pose the greatest risk.

Food Law Practice Guidance

The Food Standards Agency (FSA) issues Food Law Practice Guidance to support enforcement officers. The guidance is not legally binding, but provides advice on:

• administrative matters
• enforcement tools such as prohibition and improvement notices
• inspection and monitoring activity
• establishments handling specific products, such as fresh meat or shellfish