Consumer Protection and Food Safety Law

Consumer Protection
The sale and supply of goods to consumer’s regulations 2002
State that goods when sold must be: 1. Of satisfactory quality 2. Fit for purpose 3. As described
When complaining you are not entitled to anything if: 1. You were told of any faults before you bought the goods 2. The fault was obvious and it would have been reasonable for you to notice it before buying 3. If you caused the damage yourself 4. If you have changed your mind about the goods or seen them cheaper elsewhere
What are you entitled to ask for: 1. A full refund 2. Compensation (may be based on the cost of repair or cost of item less usage) 3. Repair or replacement
Trading Standards
This is linked to local authorities to protect consumers from unfair trading. Officers work in the following areas: 1. Quantity- inspect and check measuring equipment in factories, shops and markets 2. Quality- test samples of food and drink for safety and quality 3. Safety- check for dangerous goods and overloaded distribution vehicles 4. Fair Trading- check trade descriptions, pricing and confiscate counterfeit goods 5. Licensing- monitor licensed premises i.e. late night takeaways 6. Consumer advice- handle complaints about illegal trading, faulty goods etc.
Who to complain to if goods are faulty * The retailer * The manufacturer * Credit card company

Food Safety and the law
Food hygiene regulations 2006 are in place to protect consumers’ health when buying food 1. Food production, processing, storage, distribution and retail are all covered by the food hygiene regulations 2. It is an offence to sell food which: do not meet the requirements (make people ill), unfit to eat, deliberately make food harmful, Not of nature, substance or quality and mislead the consumers 3. Many different people enforce the regulations such as: central government, local government, trading standards officers and the environmental health officers 4. The EHO inspect food businesses and deal with food hygiene, food poisoning, contamination and foods which are unfit for human consumption and they close down food businesses if they break the law 5. Always wash your hands before handling foods * Ensure cuts and sores are covered * Don’t smoke in food room * Never cough or sneeze over foods