Food safety/environmental health

Corker Binning is a law firm specialising in fraud, regulatory litigation and general criminal work of all types. The firm advises companies and individuals involved in any enforcement action, criminal investigation or prosecution by a food authority in England and Wales - such as the environmental health department or trading standards department of a borough council, county council or district council. The legislation governing food hygiene and safety (primarily the Food Safety Act 1990 and Food Hygiene (England) Regulations 2006) contains many criminal offences if breached, including failure to comply with an Improvement Notice.

A criminal investigation and/or prosecution can have devastating consequences for a business or individual. We are ideally placed to advise on the risk of criminal offences being committed and also give guidance to businesses about their exposure to criminal penalties. We regularly act for a number of well known restaurants on food safety and hygiene issues. See our review of food hygiene legislation, March 2010.