Torfaen’s Trading Standards team has been presented with a consumer protection award from the International Federation of Spirit Producers UK (IFSP UK).
The silver award was presented to Torfaen’s Trading Standards team at this year’s Trading Standards Institute conference for the enforcement activities it undertook to combat food fraud in the drinks industry.
The award recognises the joint working of the council with the IFSP to tackle the illegal activities of watering down spirits and spirit substitution (the refilling of branded spirit bottles with cheaper alternatives).
Officers from Torfaen’s Trading Standards team regularly visit pubs, clubs and restaurants across the borough to ensure compliance with the law, provide consumer protection and offer advice to those working in the licensing trade.
The executive member for housing, planning and public protection, councillor Gwyneira Clark, said: “The vast majority of licensees in Wales are law-abiding professionals who apply the highest standards possible in the running of their businesses.
“Trading Standards conduct these checks to detect those licensed premises that deliberately flout the law, mislead consumers and create an unfair trading advantage over honest traders.
“The team has worked extremely hard to ensure Torfaen residents and visitors to the area are protected and I am delighted that this hard work has been recognised.”
The analysis of foodstuffs plays an important role in the protection of public health and standards. It contributes towards the council’s food law enforcement role of ensuring food and drink intended for human consumption is safe and of a standard demanded by the public and the law.
Philip Scatchard, director of the IFSP UK, said, “The National spirit substitution rate is coming down, however the number of prosecutions every year remains the same. This is because of the increased activity by Trading Standards officers in screening premises for spirit substitution.”
The act of spirit substitution is a criminal offence by virtue of a number of consumer protection Acts of Parliament, namely the Food Safety Act 1990 and the Trade Marks Act 1994.
For further information on spirit substitution, visit www.ifsp.co.uk
