00:00Liverpool's port health officers work to stop unsafe food and other risks reaching the public.
00:07In the last year, goods blocked or destroyed included pancake mix containing bleached flour,
00:13plastic bowls with high concentrations of formaldehyde and sardines.
00:18Goosey seeds used to thicken soups were destroyed after checks found high levels of lead.
00:23Custard milk was also destroyed because the exporting country lacked the plan to monitor pesticides and contaminants.
00:30The checks are carried out by the Mersey Port Health Authority,
00:33covering 53 miles of coastline across Liverpool, Sefton and Wirral.
00:38Officers examine documents and carry out inspections to check imports meet UK conditions and are safe to consume.
00:45When a shipment fails, goods may be sent overseas again or destroyed, with the importer paying the cost.
00:51The Port of Liverpool handles around 70 million tonnes of goods each year.
00:56The port's been central to the city since its creation in 1207.
01:00The authorities' routes go back to the Port Sanitary Authority, established in 1874,
01:05and is partly funded by Liverpool, Sefton and Wirral councils.
01:09Officers inspect ships under public health regulations and international rules,
01:14checking sanitary conditions and assessing infectious disease risks.
01:18They can issue certificates confirming that vessels meet standards.
01:21Those checks help maintain the port's status as an authorised entry point recognised by the World Health Organisation.
