Starting a food business?

If you are starting a new food business read the Food Safety Pack. Also visit www.food.gov.uk for a free copy of Safer Food Better Business.

The following advice may be useful to you:

Food Standards Agency
Registration of Food Businesses
Developing a food safety culture
Food Safety Management Procedures
Training
Health and Safety Rules
Useful Publications

Food Standards Agency

For more information, see the Food Standards Agency website for details on food hygiene legislation and visit www.food.gov.uk for general advice.

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Registration of a Food Business

Under the above Registration Regulations as the new proprietor of the food business you are required to register with the Local Authority.

There is no charge for this service.
Failure to do so is an offence.

For more information see Registration of food premises or download an Application Form for Registration of Food Premises. [PDF file information]

Developing a Food Safety Culture

A safety culture could be defined as 'the way we do things around here to achieve high safety standards'. If a food business neglects food safetly then they deserve the complaints, prosecution and low hygiene score they receive. Food safety does not happen on its own and businesses must take steps to improve standards at once.

Managers must set an example by involving all staff members in maintaining hygiene standards. Documented food safety management procedures must also be maintained and implemented.

Food Safety Management Procedures

Food businesses are required to have in place a documented food safety management procedure based on the principals of hazard analysis critical control points (known as HACCP).

If you have any queries about food safety legislation from 1 January 2006, visit the Food hygiene legislation webpage on the Food Standards Agency website.

Obtain a free copy of Safer Food Better Business and other publications from www.food.gov.uk .

Businesses operating within the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea may telephone 020 7361 3002 for advice.

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Training

You must supervise and instruct and/or train all food handlers involved in the food business in food hygiene matters. The training needed will relate to the actual task of the individual. It will also relate to the type of food that they handle. More training is required for those that handle high risk food than for those who handle low risk foodstuffs.

There is no legal requirement to send staff on a food hygiene certificate course. Certificates on their own do not demonstrate good food hygiene practice or legal compliance. Enforcement officers will want to see evidence of how that knowledge is put into practice and who supervises the candidates to ensure that practical application is consistent. However, the benefits of such a course include acquisition of knowledge, underpinning knowledge for NVQs and career development. Regulation (EC) 852/2004 of the European Parliament on the Hygiene of Foodstuffs requires training of Food Handlers:

food handlers must have adequate instruction and/or training in food hygiene to enable them to handle food safely
those responsible for the Hazard Analysis Critical Control Points based procedures must have received training to ensure that they have enough relevant knowledge and understanding to ensure procedures are operated effectively
skills may be obtained through on-job training, self study or relevant prior experience
the owner of the food business is responsible for ensuring that the above happens

If English is not the first language of the catering staff you must provide a translation of the training.

For more information on the Food Safety and Hygiene courses run by the Council's Environmental Health Department see the Food and Workplace Safety Training web pages.

Health and Safety

You must have Employers' Liability Insurance and display your certificate.
You must display a poster giving information about health and safety law for your employees. The poster is entitled "Health and Safety Law - What you should know". It is available from HSE Books - telephone 01787 881 165.
A health and safety policy statement must be prepared where five or more staff are employed.
The Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations require you to assess the risk to health and safety of employees and to anyone else who may be affected. Employers of more than five persons will need to record significant findings.
You must make an assessment of any hazardous substances used in your company. You must take precautions to reduce the risk of injury to employees from them. These can include substituting the substance for a less hazardous one, stopping using the substance altogether, providing protective clothing for employees or giving training to employees. (Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 1988.)
All accidents should be recorded in an accident book/or any other recording system.
Injuries, diseases and dangerous occurrences must be reported to the relevant local authority (Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 1995 - RIDDOR).
You must have a first aid box containing the right materials.

Useful Publications

Visit the Food Standards Agency's site www.food.gov.uk for caterers and details of publications which may help you with starting up your business.

Telephone: 0845 606 0667
Fax: 020 8867 3225
Email foodstandards@eclogistics.co.uk

Examples include:

Starting Up (Your first steps to running a catering business)
Your Guide to Safer Food and a Better Business
Your Guide to Safer Food and a Better Business. So Watch It! (free video)
Guide to Food Hygiene

The Hospitality training Foundation, www.htf.org.uk, has a free leaflet about qualifications to improve your staff, your business and yourself.

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