Being fit and healthy is not just a question of aerobic exercise and a sensible diet. As we know from the many recent scares about mad cow disease in humans (CJD), salmonella poisoning and the like, no matter how careful we are it is not always possible to control what goes into our stomachs.

Technical officers with a special brief for food control provide specialist help in a team directly responsible to a principal officer whose aim is to maintain, improve and promote safe and healthy living, working and trading conditions throughout the local area. This involves helping to educate the community in food hygiene and safety and inspecting for infectious diseases. Officers help with inspections, complaints, sampling, gathering evidence and witness statements to be used for informal and formal enforcement in the courts. But their role is a positive one and the job richly rewarding. Many of their clients welcome the support and protection they can provide.

The post can be found in all types of authority except county councils

Work Environment

The settings in which technical officers work includes shops, pubs, restaurants, hotels, factories – indeed all food businesses, and so a certain amount of local travel is required. Sometimes conditions can be difficult, dirty and pest ridden and involve anti social hours though no shifts are scheduled. But again, their visits may not be in pursuit of a problem but designed to help find a solution.

36 and a quarter hours is the standard working week. White coats, protective hats, safety shoes and sometimes ‘wellies’ are provided and, always, a briefcase and tool box for sampling.

Daily Activities

Every day food standards inspections, investigating complaints and sampling are required, providing specific technical support to the service. This means visits to businesses categorized as at risk according to the criteria laid down in the Food Safety Act 1990 – auditing, monitoring and evaluating hazards to ensure that proprietors have identified points critical to food safety and appropriate staff training needs.
Samples are taken to determine whether there is a significant risk of food being contaminated with the likes of e.coli, botulism or other bacteria. This entails being up to date with current legislation.

From time to time officers are part of a project team with a brief to help raise awareness of food safety issues through seminars, “Food Safety Weeks’, literature and training courses. This is a highly satisfying aspect of the environmental health team’s work where they feel they are making a difference to food safety and nutrition in the community.

So there are deadlines, like getting to the lab on time with samples, but mostly technical officers work to a timetable that is often determined by the needs of the team and the individual. This will involve liaison with a range of external agencies like the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (DEFRA), the Department of Health and with the public and business owners.

Skills & Interests

To be good at this job you would need to be:

• computer literate
• open minded and flexible
• ready to act in an emergency
• good with figures
• confident.

You would also need to have:

• practical and a specific technical/scientific skill
• attention to detail
• a caring nature
• an ability to get on with people from different backgrounds
• good communication skills generally.

Entry Requirements

BTEC in Environmental Health or Certificate in Food Premises Inspection.

Previous relevant experience is very useful. For example work in a laboratory, in the food business itself - say in a meat company - or as a food technologist.

On the job training to obtain the Certificate in Food Premises Inspection is a necessary requirement at Technical Officer level. But continuing professional development (CPD) through The Institute of Food Science and Technology can be useful.

Estimated salary range

Variable: from £18,000 to £22,000 due to possible differences in job description as given above.

Please note that salary information is a guide only and there may be local agreements in place. For further information about salaries for particular positions, please contact your local council directly.

Future prospects & opportunities

Promotion prospects depend on whether or not an officer wants to train as an environmental health officer (EHO) as the range of opportunities is fairly narrow. But pay and prospects vary from one authority to another. There are, however, opportunities outside of local authorities in the food industry – as auditors, consultants and food technologists for example.

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