This guide is intended to help food business operators meet the legal obligations of food hygiene and other legislation that affects their businesses as well as to provide advice on good practice.

  Food businesses across the UK are expected to comply with wide-ranging legislation.  The following are some of the key regulations that apply.

  A food provider must ensure that the preparation, processing, packaging, storing and holding of food prior to sale is carried out in an hygienic way. 

  HACCP (Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points) is an internationally recognised approach to the successful management of food safety.

  Buildings and rooms in which food is stored, handled, prepared and packed must permit good hygiene, including protection against contamination and damage by people or pests between and during operations.

  Maintaining equipment and facilities in good working order is critical to operating a safe food business.  

  To ensure the safety of food, it is vital that all those involved in handing food, including delivery staff, follow strict rules in relation to personal hygiene.   

  Food business operators must ensure that all those handling food are adequately trained in food hygiene practices and proper supervision is in place to manage food safety.

  The safe handling of food is critical to food safety.   

  The labelling and coding of food items is a vital part of managing food safety as it informs all those in the food chain about how, and for how long, they can keep products safely.   

  Maintaining clean conditions, together with the correct use of appropriate chemicals, is essential to the control of microbiological and physical contamination of foods.

  The storage and disposal of waste can present a physical risk of contaminating food and, therefore, it must be carefully controlled.

  Pests are harmful to food businesses as they can damage food directly or contaminate it with hair, fur, nesting materials, urine, faeces and their bodies.

  Food must always be transported in a way that minimises the risk of contamination and at appropriate temperatures for the food concerned.

  Storing and serving food at the correct temperature is essential in minimising the risk of food poisoning and extending shelf-life.  

  It is essential that a degree of monitoring is done to ensure that standards are maintained and in order to be able to demonstrate good practice.

  This Assured Advice is intended to help business comply with labelling regulations.

Listeria can cause serious illness and even deaths among those in vulnerable groups.

Every year some 4.2 million tonnes of food waste are generated by factories, shops and hospitality businesses across the UK at a cost of hundreds of thousands to the businesses.

  Association members have free access to health and safety as well as employment advice, provided by Worknest, one of the UK’s leading experts in employment law, HR and health & safety advice.

  When purchasing any base material, it is important to have a specification agreed and signed by both parties before business commences.

To ensure the safety of both employees and the public, food businesses should undertake a risk assessment and ensure that measures are put in place to deal with a fire outbreak.

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