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The host London boroughs for the 2012 Olympics have won funding from the Food Standards Agency’s Safer Food Better Business programme to improve food safety in the run up to the games. The joint bid from Newham, Tower Hamlets, Waltham Forest, Hackney, Greenwich, Kensington and Chelsea, Brent, Merton, City of London, Southwark, Havering, Bromley, Haringey, Enfield was coordinated by Alehm.

The two-year project, worth £130,00 in its first year, is being managed by Healthworks on behalf of ALEHM, working the training and consultancy company, NSF-CMi.

Tay Potier, CIEH London policy officer, is a member of the project management board for SFBB in London. She explained that the first phase, running until next year, will begin next month. It will focus on non-compliant food businesses.

The grants were awarded to projects that address one or more of the Food Standard Agencies three main priorities:

1. preparation for the 2012 Olympics;
2. moving to a new six-tier Scores on the Doors scheme;
3. sustainability of SFBB implementation.

Ms Potier commented:

It is great news that London has been awarded more funding to help implement SFBB in the Olympic boroughs. These grants should help to improve business awareness of food safety and encourage good practice at a time when London will be under the eyes of the world.

Nationally, more than 5,000 catering and food retailers are to benefit from the next phase of the SFBB programme in England and Wales. This is the fourth year the FSA SA has given out the grants to help food businesses comply with EU hygiene regulations.

Additional information

The Food Standards Agency's press release.