The winter 2023 edition of Trading Standards Business News is available online. It contains tips on how to stay warm and safe this winter, food safety and allergen advice, an XL Bully update, news on new laws around single use plastics and advice on Christmas lights safety, amongst other seasonal topics.
Trading Standards Business News (TSBN) is a digital magazine published by Central England Trading Standards Authorities (CEnTSA).
It is a collaboration between fourteen trading standards services within local authorities across the West Midlands – including Sandwell. Together they aim to maximise the impact that individual services have, supporting businesses in our region to trade legally and fairly while promoting economic growth.
CEnTSA’s Trading Standards Business News is full of advice to help you and your business thrive while staying on the right side of the law. Each edition covers a wide range of business sectors and signposts you to further information.
What’s inside the winter 2023 edition of TSBN?
The magazine includes articles for SMEs, food businesses, entertainment venues and dog breeders as well as information on seasonal safety and age-restricted sales requirements for retailers.
The winter 2023 edition of TSBN contains guidance on the strict new rules coming in for American XL Bully owners and breeders, the latest bird flu report, information for businesses about the single-use plastics ban that come into force in October this year – identifying banned items and outlining the consequences if they supply or sell prohibited items. .
There is a report on vaping, containing information on age verification checks and advice on what is legal and staff training. And information about food hygiene and safety, outlining the 4Cs – cleaning, cooking, chilling and cross-contamination.
This edition also contains guidance on keeping your staff warm this winter despite soaring energy costs. It reminds employers that turning down the heating could directly impact the health and wellbeing of their staff.
There is information for retailers on how to beat thieves this festive season – the time of year when increased crowds make it easier for thieves to target businesses. There is also guidance for homeowners on burning authorised fuels and the consequences for breaching the rules.
Word from the editor
In her welcome to the final edition of TSBN of the year, editor Frances Darling said: “Once again, the hard working TSBN team has brought together a broad range of articles that will hopefully prove useful – so please do read on for the detail and feel free to circulate this and future editions to other organisations and your colleagues. Don’t forget to let us know if there are topics you want us to include in future editions.”
Where can I read the winter 2023 edition of TSBN?
You can read the latest TSBN in a browser on your computer or download the TSBN app for Apple and Android devices. The digital magazine content is interactive – so clicking on the web links will take you to the relevant page or website.
You can find past editions of TSBN here.
For information and advice from Sandwell Council on how to comply with trading standards – from labelling food, or selling age-restricted products to displaying weights and prices – visit our trading Standards page:
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