Reasons behind inadequate local food control resources

To determine the reasons for inadequate resources in local food control, municipalities with less than half of the required resources (minor resourced group) were compared with other municipalities in Finland. Factors that could explain inadequate resources were identified as a low number of food experts in the municipal council, delegation of decision-making to a lower level in the hierarchy and poor skills of local officials in lobbying funds, as well as weaker economic condition, stronger business activity, higher population density and large net migration. The percentage of approved in-house control systems was significantly lower in the minor resourced group. Municipalities with outbreaks also had significantly smaller environmental health protection costs per inhabitant than municipalities with no outbreaks. These results show that local decisions concerning the structure of control organs can have considerable consequences on the efficiency of control work.