There have been changes to the Food hygiene Legislation which are going to affect all food businesses.
new food hygiene regulations are now in force as of 1 January 2006 and there is going to be one major change that will apply to all food businesses.
it is now a legal requirement that you have a documented Food Safety Management system in place.
What's it all about?
This means you must look at what could go wrong at each stage of the food production, including:
- the foods that you sell, how you handle them and what could go wrong at each food production stage
- put in place suitable controls to stop things from going wrong
- check that your controls are working properly
- write down what could go wrong, your controls, the checks that you carry out and keep these records
- review the system regularly to ensure that everything is working as it should be
Food businesses should already be familiar with the above process, which is known as hazard analysis as this was a requirement of the Food Safety (General Food Hygiene) Regulations 1995.
The main difference between the previous and the new legislation is that now you need to write down the findings of your hazard analysis.
The government understands that it is going to be difficult for food businesses to go from no written systems to a full food safety management system.
How do I obtain a copy of Safer Food Better business?
The 'Safer Food Better Business' toolkit is free and details regarding obtaining a copy are being given out during routine inspections. The free pack is available from EC Logistics Tel: 0845 6060667, Fax: 020 8867 3225 or email at foodstandards@ecologistics.co.uk. You can download a 'Safer Food Better Business' Pack.
What happens if I decide that I am not going to comply with the new regulations?
Businesses that are found not to comply with this requirement after the Introductory period for the new regulations, will be dealt with in line with the Council's Enforcement Policy.
Document links
| Document downloads | File Size |
| Adobe Acrobat Reader is available FREE of charge. You can download it directly from Adobe's website by clicking the link to the right. Once on Adobe's website, follow the instructions on screen to install the latest version of Adobe Acrobat Reader. |  |
| Factsheet 50 - Making the most of SFBB (PDF) | 112KB |
Date Updated: 10/12/08