A Trading Standards officer has been honoured with an award for her work to support consumers.
Alison Richardson, from the Staffordshire County Council team, scooped the Megan Lee Hero Award at the Chartered Trading Standards Institute annual Hero Awards ceremony held at the House of Commons.
The award, which was named in honour of Megan who died aged just 15 when she ate a takeaway with undisclosed allergens, is given out to recognise individuals or organisations who have worked to protect customers and support businesses.
Alison was honoured for leading Operation Taste which saw food standards inspections carried out at 2,500 retail premises that are traditionally rated as low risk. She found multiple issues during the inspections, which resulted in product recalls and notifications made to the Food Standards Agency.
Stephanie Young, Trading Standards kead at Staffordshire County Council, said:
“Alison is a true asset to our service and is well respected by peers locally and regionally for her technical knowledge, commitment, and drive.
“Her interventions have no doubt saved members of the public from serious food safety breaches that could have led to more tragic fatalities.”
Stephanie Young,