Your responsibilities for food safety
In this guide:
- What to expect from a food safety inspection
- Your responsibilities for food safety
- Food inspector's rights and powers
- Possible outcomes of a food inspection
- How to comply with changes requested from a food safety inspection
- How to appeal against a decision of a food inspector
- Complying with food safety and hygiene standards - Kaffe O and Belfast City Council (video)
Your responsibilities for food safety
Measures you must take to make sure food produced by your business is safe to eat.
When you start a food business, you must register with the environmental health service at your local council at least 28 days before you start trading. Registration is free of charge.
Register your food business online.
What types of food businesses need to register?
Most types of food business will need to register, including:
- catering businesses run from home, B&Bs, mobile catering and temporary businesses
- retailers, restaurants, cafés and takeaways
- food stalls, food vans marquees and pop-up food businesses
- nurseries, schools and care homes
- food manufacturing businesses
- food distributors
When you register your business with your local council, they will advise you on safety requirements and inspections.
Four Cs of food hygiene and safety
If you run a food business, it is your responsibility to ensure that your food is safe, ie not harmful to health or unfit to eat. You must ensure that you keep food preparation areas clean and handle food in a hygienic way.
Important food hygiene and safety considerations can be remembered as the 'four Cs':
Cleaning
Make sure that you keep surfaces and utensils that come into contact with food clean and disinfected where necessary. Ensure that staff wash their hands regularly.
Cooking
Make sure that you serve foods hot and thoroughly cooked. You should not serve products such as sausages and burgers, and meats such as pork and chicken rare or pink in the middle; when pierced with a knife any juices should run clear, not bloody. As an alternative check, you can cook food to a safe core temperature, for example 75°C for 30 seconds or an equivalent time and temperature combination. Once cooked, you must keep the food covered and hot (above 63°C) to prevent the growth of food poisoning bacteria.
Chilling
Do not put hot food directly into the fridge or freezer, let it cool first. Make sure that food cools within two hours of cooking and that refrigerators and freezers can store foods at the right temperatures.
Cross-contamination
Keep raw foods separate from cooked and ready to eat foods at all times. Use separate chopping boards and utensils for raw and ready to eat foods. Wash hands after handling raw foods and before touching other foods and utensils.
Your food hygiene responsibilities
You are responsible for monitoring the hygiene and safety levels in your business, in areas including:
- kitchen surfaces and equipment
- refrigerators
- dining areas
- delivery vehicles
- waste disposal
- toilets
- hand washing facilities
Staff and training
You should make sure that food handlers involved in your business receive training in food hygiene that is appropriate to their role. Training should cover areas such as:
- cooking
- temperature control
- cross contamination
- cleaning and disinfection
- Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points
- personal hygiene
- pest control
- allergy awareness
The level of training needed will depend on the type of work being done. You should also train staff in food contamination accidents and incident reporting, and they should be ready to follow emergency procedures if needed.
The Food Standards Agency (FSA) provides fitness to work guidance to help managers and staff prevent the spread of infection. The guidance advises which illnesses and symptoms staff should report and explains what managers should do in response.
Supplier food hygiene
It is important to have suppliers that you can trust to handle food safely. You should find out if your suppliers:
- are registered with their local council
- have a food safety management system
- supply detailed invoices
- store, transport and pack their goods in a hygienic way
Make sure they give you accurate product information and specifications, particularly about allergenic ingredients.
Customer information
Under the Food Safety (Northern Ireland) Order 1991 and European regulations, you must make sure that you give customers accurate descriptions of your food. This includes menus, labelling and advertising. Information given to customers must not be misleading.
If you move pre‑packed retail food from Great Britain to Northern Ireland, there are special movement and labelling rules under the Windsor Framework and the Northern Ireland Retail Movement Scheme. Check the latest official guidance to see if these rules apply to your business.
Record-keeping
Keeping accurate records will help you comply with your legal requirements. The level of record keeping required will depend on the nature and extent of your food business.
The FSA guides such as the Safe Catering and Safer Food, Better Business packs will help you meet your legal duties and your responsibilities in areas of food safety management procedures and food hygiene regulations.
Developed withAlso on this siteContent category
Source URL
/content/your-responsibilities-food-safety
Links
Food inspector's rights and powers
Find out what action the food safety inspector can take when inspecting your food business.
Authorised officers from your local council will visit your premises to check that your business is complying with food law and that you are producing food that is safe to eat.
The frequency of inspection will depend on the level of risk, the type of business and its previous record. Some premises might be inspected at least every six months, others much less often.
Authorised officers usually do not make an appointment. They have the right to:
- enter and inspect premises
- take food samples
- examine working methods and management procedures
- look at records
When might a food inspection take place?
The inspection may take place in the following circumstances:
- when a new food business opens or starts trading
- routine programmed inspections based on risk
- inspections following a complaint or new information about the business
Authorised food safety officers must show identification when they arrive. They should always give you feedback on an inspection and you can ask them to explain any issues or actions they identify. The inspection must follow the framework agreement on local council food law enforcement as set out by the Food Standards Agency (FSA).
It must also follow the Food Law Code of Practice, which states that inspectors should:
- offer advice if appropriate or requested
- encourage food business operators to adopt good practice
- discuss any corrective action that may be necessary, and the timescale for corrective action to take place
- inform you of any further action the inspector plans to take
Food inspectors should also distinguish between:
- actions recommended for the sake of good practice
- actions required to comply with legal requirements
During the visit, the food inspector might take samples and photographs of food. They may inspect your records or remove suspect foods. Following their visit, they might write to you informally asking you to put right any problems they found.
Where the Food Hygiene Rating Scheme applies, the findings from the inspection will be used to decide your food hygiene rating.
Developed withAlso on this siteContent category
Source URL
/content/food-inspectors-rights-and-powers
Links
Possible outcomes of a food inspection
What happens following a food safety inspection, including enforcement actions and notices.
Food safety officers can take enforcement action against your business to protect the public. The officer should confirm any action you need to take in a written letter. They must give you enough time to put actions into effect, unless there is an immediate risk to public health.
During an inspection of your business, an officer can also serve a legal notice.
Examples of food safety notices
Examples of notices you may receive during a food safety inspection include:
Hygiene improvement notice
This sets out what you must do to comply with food hygiene law. You may receive this if your business is breaking the law, for example where there are ongoing cleaning or structural problems.
Food information improvement notice
This sets out what you need to do to comply with food information law. You may receive this if your business is breaking the law, for example where allergen information is missing or incorrect.
Hygiene emergency prohibition (HEP) notice
This forbids you to use certain processes, premises or equipment and must be confirmed by a court. Once confirmed by the court, it becomes a HEP order.
Remedial action notice
This forbids the use of certain processes, premises or equipment. It can also impose conditions on how you carry out a process. It's similar to a HEP notice, but it does not need to be confirmed by a court.
It is a criminal offence not to comply with a notice once served.
Food business prohibition order
In serious cases, inspectors can also recommend prosecution. If a prosecution is successful, the court may forbid you from using certain processes, premises or equipment. It could ban you from managing a food business, eg via a food business prohibition order. It could also lead to a fine or imprisonment.
Some formal notices can be appealed. The documents you receive should explain whether you can appeal and how to do it, and you can read more in the section on how to appeal against a decision.
Developed withAlso on this siteContent category
Source URL
/content/possible-outcomes-food-inspection
Links
How to comply with changes requested from a food safety inspection
What to do if a food safety officer takes action against your food business.
If a food safety officer finds problems with your food business, they will itemise the issues in writing to you. They will give you a reasonable amount of time to make changes unless there is an imminent risk to public health.
Once you comply with the changes, inform the food officer immediately. This helps to minimise disruption to your business and can support any request you make for a revisit or re-rating where the Food Hygiene Rating Scheme applies.
You should keep evidence of the action you have taken, such as photographs, invoices, updated procedures or training records, in case the officer asks to see it or you later request a re-rating.
If the officer has removed the food for analysis or examination, you should check with them for the results.
Reporting food incidents
If you become aware of a food incident - for example, your food has become contaminated - you must immediately remove your food from sale or recall it from customers. You must also notify the authorities immediately.
Developed withAlso on this siteContent category
Source URL
/content/how-comply-changes-requested-food-safety-inspection
Links
How to appeal against a decision of a food inspector
How to appeal against action taken by food safety inspector against your food business.
If you disagree with a decision made by a food safety officer, you should first discuss this with the officer. If you are unable to resolve the issue with the person you have been dealing with, ask them for the name of their manager. You can then ask to speak with them, or write to them if you prefer, to see if you can resolve the issue.
If you still disagree after this process, you should use the local council's complaints procedure to escalate your problem. If this doesn't resolve the issue, you could approach your local councillor or contact the Northern Ireland Public Services Ombudsman.
You can appeal further if you are dealing with:
- a hygiene improvement notice - you can appeal to a court of summary jurisdiction
- a hygiene emergency prohibition order - you can appeal to the county court
The documents you received with the notice should contain guidance on how to appeal, including how long you have to do it. You should check and keep to any appeal deadlines in those documents.
See The Food Hygiene Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2006 for details on the appeals.
Where food is found to be unfit for human consumption, the food will be seized and presented to a Justice of the Peace for condemnation. You have a right to claim compensation if the court decides that:
- the officer has shut your premises without proper reason
- food has been wrongly seized or detained
The Food Standards Agency provides detailed guidance on how to appeal against a decision made by a local authority after inspecting your business.
Developed withAlso on this siteContent category
Source URL
/content/how-appeal-against-decision-food-inspector
Links
What to expect from a food safety inspection
Complying with food safety and hygiene standards - Kaffe O and Belfast City Council (video)
Orla Smyth, Owner of Belfast-based Kaffe O, explains how they approach food hygiene and safety to achieve a food hygiene rating of five.
Kaffe O is a Scandinavian-inspired café business with multiple sites in Belfast. They have achieved the highest possible food hygiene rating of five.
Owner Orla Smyth explains how they have created a culture of prioritising food hygiene and safety throughout the business. Orla describes the approach they take to food hygiene, including staff training, audits and checklists.
Christina McErlean, Food Safety Environmental Health Officer at Belfast City Council, outlines the food hygiene inspection process and the Food Hygiene Rating Scheme. Christina explains the three areas evaluated during an inspection and what happens following a council's assessment of a food business.
Developed withCase StudyOrla Smyth Christina McErleanContent category
Source URL
/content/complying-food-safety-and-hygiene-standards-kaffe-o-and-belfast-city-council-video
Links
Handling food and fitness to work
Food hygiene and the law
Information on legal requirements concerning food hygiene for food businesses.
Food businesses must register with their local council and comply with food law.
Food business registration
You must register your business with the environmental health service (EHS) at your local council at least 28 days before opening. Food operations include:
- selling food
- cooking food
- preparing food
- distributing food
- storing food
- handling food
You may also need to have your business approved if you supply another business with:
- meat and meat products
- eggs
- milk and dairy products
- fish and fish products
For information on how to register, contact the EHS at your local council. They can also advise you on the food hygiene law, and how it applies to your business in practice.
Food hygiene and safety inspections
Food safety enforcement officers from your local council will inspect your business to make sure you are complying with food hygiene law. Inspections are usually unannounced.
Where necessary, inspectors can take enforcement action to protect public health, including:
- serving a legal notice that sets out actions you must take, or forbidding you from using certain processes, premises or equipment
- recommending prosecution, in serious cases
Find out what to expect from a food safety inspection.
Food hygiene regulations
Food hygiene regulations set out requirements covering all aspects of your business. You must make sure that:
- your establishments meet hygiene standards
- staff follow good personal hygiene practice
- food safety hazards are identified and controlled, including cooking, refrigeration and cross contamination
- staff receive appropriate instruction or training in food hygiene, and are supervised
Depending on the nature of your business, you may also need to keep written records of how you manage food safety hazards.
You must put food safety management procedures in place based on the principles of HACCP (hazard analysis critical control point). In practice, this means that you must have documented procedures to manage food safety hazards in your business.
New rules on food safety culture
In March 2021, the EU adopted Regulation (EU) 2021/382 which introduced 'food safety culture' into the main EU food hygiene law.
This new requirement means food businesses in the EU must build a culture where everyone, from management to staff, understands and prioritises food safety in their everyday work.
Because the UK had already left the EU by the time this update was made, it doesn’t apply in Great Britain. However, under the Windsor Framework, EU food safety laws (including this update) still apply in Northern Ireland.
So, in practice, food safety culture is a legal requirement in Northern Ireland, but not in Great Britain. Local councils in Northern Ireland can look at how a business promotes food safety culture when they carry out inspections or other official checks.
Guides such as the Safe Catering Pack, Safer food better business and industry guides will assist you in meeting food hygiene legal requirements.
Developed withActionsAlso on this siteContent category
Source URL
/content/food-hygiene-and-law
Links
Cleaning, disinfection and preventing food cross-contamination
Follow good cleaning practices to help prevent food poisoning from occurring through cross-contamination.
Cleaning, disinfection and preventing cross-contamination are essential to make sure the food you serve is safe to eat, and to prevent food poisoning.
Cleaning, disinfection and food hygiene
Effective cleaning, and disinfection where necessary, removes bacteria from hands, equipment and surfaces. This helps prevent harmful bacteria spreading onto food. You should:
- wash and disinfect work surfaces and equipment between different tasks and after preparing raw meat, shellfish, poultry and eggs
- clean as you go, dealing with spills as they happen
- use appropriate cleaning products and follow the manufacturer's instructions
- use disinfectants that meet recognised standards such as BS EN 1276 or BS EN 13697
- prevent food waste building up
Hand washing is a key part of food hygiene. Anyone who handles food must wash their hands:
- before starting work
- before handling food
- after breaks
- after using the toilet
- after emptying rubbish
- after cleaning
- after touching raw meat, poultry or eggs
- after touching a cut or changing a dressing
Download hand-washing guidance (PDF, 572KB).
Cross-contamination
Cross-contamination happens when harmful bacteria spread from food, surfaces, hands or equipment onto other food. It is most likely to happen when:
- raw food touches or drips onto other food
- raw food touches or drips onto equipment, work surfaces or cloths
- staff handle raw food with their hands and then touch ready-to-eat food
For example, storing raw meat above ready-to-eat food in the fridge can contaminate the food below.
How to prevent food cross-contamination
To prevent cross-contamination in your business, you should:
- Clean and disinfect work surfaces, chopping boards and equipment before preparing food and after using them with raw food.
- Use separate, colour-coded equipment (including chopping boards and knives) for raw meat/poultry and ready-to-eat food unless they can be heat disinfected in, for example, a commercial dishwasher.
- Wash hands before preparing food and after touching raw food.
- Keep raw and ready-to-eat food apart at all times, including packaging.
- Store raw food below ready-to-eat food in the fridge or use separate fridges for raw and ready-to-eat food.
- Provide separate working areas, storage, clothing and staff for the handling of ready-to-eat food.
- Use separate machinery and equipment, such as vacuum packing machines, slicers and mincers, for raw and ready-to-eat food.
- Use separate cleaning materials, including cloths, sponges and mops, in areas where ready-to-eat foods are stored, handled and prepared.
- Train staff to understand how to avoid cross-contamination.
Developed withAlso on this siteContent category
Source URL
/content/cleaning-disinfection-and-preventing-food-cross-contamination
Links
Cooking and chilling food
Guidance for food businesses on preventing food poisoning by ensuring food is properly cooked and chilled.
Cooking and chilling are both essential to make sure the food you serve in your food business is safe to eat, and to prevent food poisoning.
Cooking food in your food business
Thorough cooking at the correct temperature kills harmful bacteria in food. You must not serve food that is not fully cooked. You should serve cooked food immediately or keep it hot until serving. If you're cooking food in advance, cool and chill it quickly.
It is important to make sure that you fully cook:
- poultry
- pork
- rolled joints
- products made from minced meat, such as burgers and sausages
These foods must not be served pink or rare, as they could harbour bacteria if undercooked. These foods should be steaming hot all the way through.
Whole cuts of beef and lamb, such as steaks, cutlets and whole joints, can be served pink or rare as long as they are fully sealed on the outside.
Chilling food in your food business
Chilling food to the correct temperature stops bacteria from growing. The Food Standards Agency recommends chilling food at 0-5 degrees Celsius. Chilling food below 8 degrees Celsius is a legal requirement.
You must keep some foods chilled to keep them safe. For example:
- food with a 'use by' date
- food that you have cooked and not served immediately
- ready-to-eat food such as prepared salads
Guidelines for chilling food
You should always:
- check chilled food on delivery to make sure it is cold enough
- refrigerate chilled food immediately
- cool cooked food as quickly as possible before chilling
- keep chilled food out of the fridge for the shortest time possible during preparation
- avoid overloading fridges
- regularly check the temperature of your fridge and refrigerated display units
Developed withActionsAlso on this siteContent category
Source URL
/content/cooking-and-chilling-food
Links
Handling food and fitness to work
Food handling hygiene and fitness to work in the food industry, including food-related illnesses and symptoms.
Anyone working with or near open food who has certain infections - bacterial or viral - must take precautions to prevent contamination.
Staff handling food or working in a food handling area must immediately report symptoms such as diarrhoea and/or vomiting to their manager. These symptoms are associated with illnesses that can be transmitted through food.
You must not allow anyone with these symptoms to work with or around open food, usually until 48 hours after symptoms have stopped.
Food business operators should follow guidance from the Food Standards Agency on good hygiene practices in food preparation and Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) processes.
Importance of washing hands
Anyone who handles food and works around open food must wash and dry their hands thoroughly before handling food or touching surfaces likely to come into contact with food. Food workers must always wash their hands after using the toilet. People can carry infection even if they do not show symptoms.
Read more about cleaning, disinfection and preventing food cross-contamination.
Developed withAlso on this siteContent category
Source URL
/content/handling-food-and-fitness-work
Links
Food safety myths - true or false?
Food safety myths and whether they are true or false - including best before dates, rare meat and washing raw chicken.
This section addresses common misunderstandings that can lead to unsafe food practices. Businesses should rely on food hygiene law and recognised guidance, not myths, when handling food.
The Food Standards Agency has compiled a list of common questions and answers to dispel any food safety and hygiene-related myths.
1. True or False: If food looks ok and smells ok it's safe to eat
False - it's a myth
Although a bad smell or taste can indicate that food has 'gone off', these signs often aren't caused by germs that give you food poisoning. So the food's appearance, smell or taste aren't reliable warning signs. Instead, stick to the 'use by' date and storage instructions on the packet.
2. True or False: Eating food after the 'best before' date won't hurt
True - it's a food safety fact
'Best before' dates are about food quality, not safety. They are usually found on food that lasts a long time. If food has passed its 'best before' date, it doesn't mean it's unsafe, but it might have started to lose its colour, flavour or texture.
3. True or False: 'Use by' dates are there to make you buy more
False - it's a myth
A 'use by' date tells you how long food will stay safe. They have to be put on food that 'goes off' quickly - and they aren't just guesswork; the dates are worked out by scientific testing. Don't be tempted to eat food after the 'use by' date on the label, even if it looks and smells fine.
4. True or False: Stick to the 'five second rule' and you'll be ok
False - it's a myth
We've all been there! That delicious slice of cake slips from your fingers and lands on the floor, and you think surely it will be ok if I pick it up quickly enough? Well, unfortunately - no! However quickly you manage to retrieve it, any contact with the floor is long enough for the food to pick up nasty germs.
5. True or False: Plastic chopping boards are more hygienic than wooden ones
False - it's a myth
There isn't any strong evidence that one type of chopping board is more or less hygienic than another, whether plastic, wooden, glass or even marble. What is important is that the board gets cleaned properly after every use and is replaced if it gets damaged, for example from deep cuts or scoring. You could also use separate chopping boards for raw and ready-to-eat foods.
6. True or False: You don't need to wash raw chicken before you cook it
True - it's a food safety fact
Although most raw meat will have some germs on it, washing won't get rid of them. In fact, washing is more likely to spread germs around the kitchen. Little splashes of water can contaminate you, your worktops and anything else in the way. Thorough cooking is the only way to get rid of these nasty germs.
7. True or False: If you've got a 'dodgy' stomach it's usually from the last thing you ate
False - it's a myth
It's natural to suspect the thing you ate most recently would be the cause of food poisoning, but that isn't always the case. Symptoms usually take between one and three days to develop, so it won't necessarily be from the last thing you ate.
8. True or False: Most food poisoning is from 'dodgy' restaurants and takeaways
False - it's a myth
There's no specific evidence that food eaten out is more likely to cause food poisoning than food prepared at home, but it's easier to blame someone else. The habits we pick up from friends and family don't always ensure food is produced safely at home. As well as expecting good hygiene standards when eating out, we should also think about how to do things better at home.
9. True or False: Food poisoning isn't serious, it's just an upset stomach
False - it's a myth
Although most cases of food poisoning are mild and last only a day or two, some can be far more serious, even deadly. Thankfully this is rare, but with more than a million cases of food poisoning each year, 20,000 of which require hospital treatment, every case is worth avoiding. Avoid food poisoning by remembering the simple 4Cs for good food hygiene: cleaning, cooking, chilling and cross-contamination.
10. True or False: Steak's ok rare - as long as the outside is brown
True - it's a food safety fact
Steak is safe to eat 'rare'. Whole cuts of beef or lamb, such as steaks, cutlets and joints only have germs on the outside, so as long as the outside is fully cooked any germs will be killed. But this isn't true for poultry, pork, burgers and sausages, these must be cooked all the way through.
11. True or False: It's best to serve burgers pink in the middle
False - it's a myth
Unlike steaks, burgers and sausages are made from meat that has been minced, so germs will be spread throughout the product and not just on the surface. This means these products need to be properly cooked all the way through. To check if a burger is done, cut into the thickest part and check there is no pink meat, it is steaming hot and juices are clear.
12. True or False: Cooked rice can't be kept as long as other leftovers
True - it's a food safety fact
Leftover cooked rice is fine to eat as long as it gets cooled and refrigerated quickly after cooking and eaten within 24 hours. This is because rice can contain a particularly tough type of bacteria that can survive heating. Most other leftovers are safe to eat up to two days after cooking. Always reheat leftovers until steaming hot and do not reheat more than once.
Developed withAlso on this siteContent category
Source URL
/content/food-safety-myths-true-or-false
Links
Storing and handling eggs safely
Why caterers need to be careful when they use eggs and how to prevent the spread of salmonella bacteria.
You should store, handle and prepare eggs carefully to prevent the spread of salmonella bacteria. Bacteria can be on the shell or in the egg itself, and can spread to other foods if eggs come into contact with them (or with hands and cooking utensils).
Salmonella can cause serious food poisoning, particularly in vulnerable groups such as:
- elderly people
- unwell people
- people who have a weakened immune system
- pregnant women
- babies and toddlers
Ten tips for working with eggs safely
To prevent risks associated with salmonella food poisoning, food businesses should:
- Keep eggs separate from other foods.
- Cook eggs and egg dishes thoroughly.
- Use pasteurised egg for raw or lightly cooked dishes.
- Always wash and dry your hands thoroughly after handling eggs.
- Never use damaged or dirty eggs.
- Serve egg dishes immediately or cool them quickly and keep chilled.
- Avoid splashing egg onto worktops, utensils or other foods.
- Clean food areas and equipment thoroughly after working with eggs.
- If breaking eggs to use later (sometimes called 'pooling'), keep the liquid egg refrigerated and take out small amounts as needed.
- Use 'pooled' egg the same day and do not add new eggs to top it up.
Developed withAlso on this siteContent category
Source URL
/content/storing-and-handling-eggs-safely
Links
Food hygiene: ten top tips
Follow these ten key steps to prevent cross-contamination and food poisoning in your business.
Cross-contamination is when bacteria spread between food, surfaces or equipment. It is one of the most common causes of food poisoning. Use this quick checklist every day to minimise food hygiene risks in your business.
- Clean and disinfect work surfaces, chopping boards and equipment thoroughly before preparing food and after using them with raw food.
- Use separate, colour-coded chopping boards and knives for raw meat/poultry and ready-to-eat food (unless they can be heat disinfected in a commercial dishwasher).
- Wash your hands before preparing food and after touching raw food.
- Keep raw and ready-to-eat food separate from one another at all times, including packaging material for ready-to-eat food.
- Store raw food below ready-to-eat food in the fridge. If possible, use separate fridges for raw and ready-to-eat food.
- Provide separate working areas, storage facilities, clothing and staff for the handling of ready-to-eat food.
- Use separate equipment, such as vacuum packing machines, slicers and mincers, for raw and ready-to-eat food.
- Use separate cleaning materials, including cloths, sponges and mops, in areas where ready-to-eat foods are stored, handled and prepared.
- Train your staff so they understand how to avoid cross-contamination
For more advice, read about food hygiene and the law.
Developed withAlso on this sitePrimary parentContent category
Source URL
/content/food-hygiene-ten-top-tips
Links
Cleaning, disinfection and preventing food cross-contamination
Food hygiene and the law
Information on legal requirements concerning food hygiene for food businesses.
Food businesses must register with their local council and comply with food law.
Food business registration
You must register your business with the environmental health service (EHS) at your local council at least 28 days before opening. Food operations include:
- selling food
- cooking food
- preparing food
- distributing food
- storing food
- handling food
You may also need to have your business approved if you supply another business with:
- meat and meat products
- eggs
- milk and dairy products
- fish and fish products
For information on how to register, contact the EHS at your local council. They can also advise you on the food hygiene law, and how it applies to your business in practice.
Food hygiene and safety inspections
Food safety enforcement officers from your local council will inspect your business to make sure you are complying with food hygiene law. Inspections are usually unannounced.
Where necessary, inspectors can take enforcement action to protect public health, including:
- serving a legal notice that sets out actions you must take, or forbidding you from using certain processes, premises or equipment
- recommending prosecution, in serious cases
Find out what to expect from a food safety inspection.
Food hygiene regulations
Food hygiene regulations set out requirements covering all aspects of your business. You must make sure that:
- your establishments meet hygiene standards
- staff follow good personal hygiene practice
- food safety hazards are identified and controlled, including cooking, refrigeration and cross contamination
- staff receive appropriate instruction or training in food hygiene, and are supervised
Depending on the nature of your business, you may also need to keep written records of how you manage food safety hazards.
You must put food safety management procedures in place based on the principles of HACCP (hazard analysis critical control point). In practice, this means that you must have documented procedures to manage food safety hazards in your business.
New rules on food safety culture
In March 2021, the EU adopted Regulation (EU) 2021/382 which introduced 'food safety culture' into the main EU food hygiene law.
This new requirement means food businesses in the EU must build a culture where everyone, from management to staff, understands and prioritises food safety in their everyday work.
Because the UK had already left the EU by the time this update was made, it doesn’t apply in Great Britain. However, under the Windsor Framework, EU food safety laws (including this update) still apply in Northern Ireland.
So, in practice, food safety culture is a legal requirement in Northern Ireland, but not in Great Britain. Local councils in Northern Ireland can look at how a business promotes food safety culture when they carry out inspections or other official checks.
Guides such as the Safe Catering Pack, Safer food better business and industry guides will assist you in meeting food hygiene legal requirements.
Developed withActionsAlso on this siteContent category
Source URL
/content/food-hygiene-and-law
Links
Cleaning, disinfection and preventing food cross-contamination
Follow good cleaning practices to help prevent food poisoning from occurring through cross-contamination.
Cleaning, disinfection and preventing cross-contamination are essential to make sure the food you serve is safe to eat, and to prevent food poisoning.
Cleaning, disinfection and food hygiene
Effective cleaning, and disinfection where necessary, removes bacteria from hands, equipment and surfaces. This helps prevent harmful bacteria spreading onto food. You should:
- wash and disinfect work surfaces and equipment between different tasks and after preparing raw meat, shellfish, poultry and eggs
- clean as you go, dealing with spills as they happen
- use appropriate cleaning products and follow the manufacturer's instructions
- use disinfectants that meet recognised standards such as BS EN 1276 or BS EN 13697
- prevent food waste building up
Hand washing is a key part of food hygiene. Anyone who handles food must wash their hands:
- before starting work
- before handling food
- after breaks
- after using the toilet
- after emptying rubbish
- after cleaning
- after touching raw meat, poultry or eggs
- after touching a cut or changing a dressing
Download hand-washing guidance (PDF, 572KB).
Cross-contamination
Cross-contamination happens when harmful bacteria spread from food, surfaces, hands or equipment onto other food. It is most likely to happen when:
- raw food touches or drips onto other food
- raw food touches or drips onto equipment, work surfaces or cloths
- staff handle raw food with their hands and then touch ready-to-eat food
For example, storing raw meat above ready-to-eat food in the fridge can contaminate the food below.
How to prevent food cross-contamination
To prevent cross-contamination in your business, you should:
- Clean and disinfect work surfaces, chopping boards and equipment before preparing food and after using them with raw food.
- Use separate, colour-coded equipment (including chopping boards and knives) for raw meat/poultry and ready-to-eat food unless they can be heat disinfected in, for example, a commercial dishwasher.
- Wash hands before preparing food and after touching raw food.
- Keep raw and ready-to-eat food apart at all times, including packaging.
- Store raw food below ready-to-eat food in the fridge or use separate fridges for raw and ready-to-eat food.
- Provide separate working areas, storage, clothing and staff for the handling of ready-to-eat food.
- Use separate machinery and equipment, such as vacuum packing machines, slicers and mincers, for raw and ready-to-eat food.
- Use separate cleaning materials, including cloths, sponges and mops, in areas where ready-to-eat foods are stored, handled and prepared.
- Train staff to understand how to avoid cross-contamination.
Developed withAlso on this siteContent category
Source URL
/content/cleaning-disinfection-and-preventing-food-cross-contamination
Links
Cooking and chilling food
Guidance for food businesses on preventing food poisoning by ensuring food is properly cooked and chilled.
Cooking and chilling are both essential to make sure the food you serve in your food business is safe to eat, and to prevent food poisoning.
Cooking food in your food business
Thorough cooking at the correct temperature kills harmful bacteria in food. You must not serve food that is not fully cooked. You should serve cooked food immediately or keep it hot until serving. If you're cooking food in advance, cool and chill it quickly.
It is important to make sure that you fully cook:
- poultry
- pork
- rolled joints
- products made from minced meat, such as burgers and sausages
These foods must not be served pink or rare, as they could harbour bacteria if undercooked. These foods should be steaming hot all the way through.
Whole cuts of beef and lamb, such as steaks, cutlets and whole joints, can be served pink or rare as long as they are fully sealed on the outside.
Chilling food in your food business
Chilling food to the correct temperature stops bacteria from growing. The Food Standards Agency recommends chilling food at 0-5 degrees Celsius. Chilling food below 8 degrees Celsius is a legal requirement.
You must keep some foods chilled to keep them safe. For example:
- food with a 'use by' date
- food that you have cooked and not served immediately
- ready-to-eat food such as prepared salads
Guidelines for chilling food
You should always:
- check chilled food on delivery to make sure it is cold enough
- refrigerate chilled food immediately
- cool cooked food as quickly as possible before chilling
- keep chilled food out of the fridge for the shortest time possible during preparation
- avoid overloading fridges
- regularly check the temperature of your fridge and refrigerated display units
Developed withActionsAlso on this siteContent category
Source URL
/content/cooking-and-chilling-food
Links
Handling food and fitness to work
Food handling hygiene and fitness to work in the food industry, including food-related illnesses and symptoms.
Anyone working with or near open food who has certain infections - bacterial or viral - must take precautions to prevent contamination.
Staff handling food or working in a food handling area must immediately report symptoms such as diarrhoea and/or vomiting to their manager. These symptoms are associated with illnesses that can be transmitted through food.
You must not allow anyone with these symptoms to work with or around open food, usually until 48 hours after symptoms have stopped.
Food business operators should follow guidance from the Food Standards Agency on good hygiene practices in food preparation and Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) processes.
Importance of washing hands
Anyone who handles food and works around open food must wash and dry their hands thoroughly before handling food or touching surfaces likely to come into contact with food. Food workers must always wash their hands after using the toilet. People can carry infection even if they do not show symptoms.
Read more about cleaning, disinfection and preventing food cross-contamination.
Developed withAlso on this siteContent category
Source URL
/content/handling-food-and-fitness-work
Links
Food safety myths - true or false?
Food safety myths and whether they are true or false - including best before dates, rare meat and washing raw chicken.
This section addresses common misunderstandings that can lead to unsafe food practices. Businesses should rely on food hygiene law and recognised guidance, not myths, when handling food.
The Food Standards Agency has compiled a list of common questions and answers to dispel any food safety and hygiene-related myths.
1. True or False: If food looks ok and smells ok it's safe to eat
False - it's a myth
Although a bad smell or taste can indicate that food has 'gone off', these signs often aren't caused by germs that give you food poisoning. So the food's appearance, smell or taste aren't reliable warning signs. Instead, stick to the 'use by' date and storage instructions on the packet.
2. True or False: Eating food after the 'best before' date won't hurt
True - it's a food safety fact
'Best before' dates are about food quality, not safety. They are usually found on food that lasts a long time. If food has passed its 'best before' date, it doesn't mean it's unsafe, but it might have started to lose its colour, flavour or texture.
3. True or False: 'Use by' dates are there to make you buy more
False - it's a myth
A 'use by' date tells you how long food will stay safe. They have to be put on food that 'goes off' quickly - and they aren't just guesswork; the dates are worked out by scientific testing. Don't be tempted to eat food after the 'use by' date on the label, even if it looks and smells fine.
4. True or False: Stick to the 'five second rule' and you'll be ok
False - it's a myth
We've all been there! That delicious slice of cake slips from your fingers and lands on the floor, and you think surely it will be ok if I pick it up quickly enough? Well, unfortunately - no! However quickly you manage to retrieve it, any contact with the floor is long enough for the food to pick up nasty germs.
5. True or False: Plastic chopping boards are more hygienic than wooden ones
False - it's a myth
There isn't any strong evidence that one type of chopping board is more or less hygienic than another, whether plastic, wooden, glass or even marble. What is important is that the board gets cleaned properly after every use and is replaced if it gets damaged, for example from deep cuts or scoring. You could also use separate chopping boards for raw and ready-to-eat foods.
6. True or False: You don't need to wash raw chicken before you cook it
True - it's a food safety fact
Although most raw meat will have some germs on it, washing won't get rid of them. In fact, washing is more likely to spread germs around the kitchen. Little splashes of water can contaminate you, your worktops and anything else in the way. Thorough cooking is the only way to get rid of these nasty germs.
7. True or False: If you've got a 'dodgy' stomach it's usually from the last thing you ate
False - it's a myth
It's natural to suspect the thing you ate most recently would be the cause of food poisoning, but that isn't always the case. Symptoms usually take between one and three days to develop, so it won't necessarily be from the last thing you ate.
8. True or False: Most food poisoning is from 'dodgy' restaurants and takeaways
False - it's a myth
There's no specific evidence that food eaten out is more likely to cause food poisoning than food prepared at home, but it's easier to blame someone else. The habits we pick up from friends and family don't always ensure food is produced safely at home. As well as expecting good hygiene standards when eating out, we should also think about how to do things better at home.
9. True or False: Food poisoning isn't serious, it's just an upset stomach
False - it's a myth
Although most cases of food poisoning are mild and last only a day or two, some can be far more serious, even deadly. Thankfully this is rare, but with more than a million cases of food poisoning each year, 20,000 of which require hospital treatment, every case is worth avoiding. Avoid food poisoning by remembering the simple 4Cs for good food hygiene: cleaning, cooking, chilling and cross-contamination.
10. True or False: Steak's ok rare - as long as the outside is brown
True - it's a food safety fact
Steak is safe to eat 'rare'. Whole cuts of beef or lamb, such as steaks, cutlets and joints only have germs on the outside, so as long as the outside is fully cooked any germs will be killed. But this isn't true for poultry, pork, burgers and sausages, these must be cooked all the way through.
11. True or False: It's best to serve burgers pink in the middle
False - it's a myth
Unlike steaks, burgers and sausages are made from meat that has been minced, so germs will be spread throughout the product and not just on the surface. This means these products need to be properly cooked all the way through. To check if a burger is done, cut into the thickest part and check there is no pink meat, it is steaming hot and juices are clear.
12. True or False: Cooked rice can't be kept as long as other leftovers
True - it's a food safety fact
Leftover cooked rice is fine to eat as long as it gets cooled and refrigerated quickly after cooking and eaten within 24 hours. This is because rice can contain a particularly tough type of bacteria that can survive heating. Most other leftovers are safe to eat up to two days after cooking. Always reheat leftovers until steaming hot and do not reheat more than once.
Developed withAlso on this siteContent category
Source URL
/content/food-safety-myths-true-or-false
Links
Storing and handling eggs safely
Why caterers need to be careful when they use eggs and how to prevent the spread of salmonella bacteria.
You should store, handle and prepare eggs carefully to prevent the spread of salmonella bacteria. Bacteria can be on the shell or in the egg itself, and can spread to other foods if eggs come into contact with them (or with hands and cooking utensils).
Salmonella can cause serious food poisoning, particularly in vulnerable groups such as:
- elderly people
- unwell people
- people who have a weakened immune system
- pregnant women
- babies and toddlers
Ten tips for working with eggs safely
To prevent risks associated with salmonella food poisoning, food businesses should:
- Keep eggs separate from other foods.
- Cook eggs and egg dishes thoroughly.
- Use pasteurised egg for raw or lightly cooked dishes.
- Always wash and dry your hands thoroughly after handling eggs.
- Never use damaged or dirty eggs.
- Serve egg dishes immediately or cool them quickly and keep chilled.
- Avoid splashing egg onto worktops, utensils or other foods.
- Clean food areas and equipment thoroughly after working with eggs.
- If breaking eggs to use later (sometimes called 'pooling'), keep the liquid egg refrigerated and take out small amounts as needed.
- Use 'pooled' egg the same day and do not add new eggs to top it up.
Developed withAlso on this siteContent category
Source URL
/content/storing-and-handling-eggs-safely
Links
Food hygiene: ten top tips
Follow these ten key steps to prevent cross-contamination and food poisoning in your business.
Cross-contamination is when bacteria spread between food, surfaces or equipment. It is one of the most common causes of food poisoning. Use this quick checklist every day to minimise food hygiene risks in your business.
- Clean and disinfect work surfaces, chopping boards and equipment thoroughly before preparing food and after using them with raw food.
- Use separate, colour-coded chopping boards and knives for raw meat/poultry and ready-to-eat food (unless they can be heat disinfected in a commercial dishwasher).
- Wash your hands before preparing food and after touching raw food.
- Keep raw and ready-to-eat food separate from one another at all times, including packaging material for ready-to-eat food.
- Store raw food below ready-to-eat food in the fridge. If possible, use separate fridges for raw and ready-to-eat food.
- Provide separate working areas, storage facilities, clothing and staff for the handling of ready-to-eat food.
- Use separate equipment, such as vacuum packing machines, slicers and mincers, for raw and ready-to-eat food.
- Use separate cleaning materials, including cloths, sponges and mops, in areas where ready-to-eat foods are stored, handled and prepared.
- Train your staff so they understand how to avoid cross-contamination
For more advice, read about food hygiene and the law.
Developed withAlso on this sitePrimary parentContent category
Source URL
/content/food-hygiene-ten-top-tips
Links
Food hygiene and the law
Food hygiene and the law
Information on legal requirements concerning food hygiene for food businesses.
Food businesses must register with their local council and comply with food law.
Food business registration
You must register your business with the environmental health service (EHS) at your local council at least 28 days before opening. Food operations include:
- selling food
- cooking food
- preparing food
- distributing food
- storing food
- handling food
You may also need to have your business approved if you supply another business with:
- meat and meat products
- eggs
- milk and dairy products
- fish and fish products
For information on how to register, contact the EHS at your local council. They can also advise you on the food hygiene law, and how it applies to your business in practice.
Food hygiene and safety inspections
Food safety enforcement officers from your local council will inspect your business to make sure you are complying with food hygiene law. Inspections are usually unannounced.
Where necessary, inspectors can take enforcement action to protect public health, including:
- serving a legal notice that sets out actions you must take, or forbidding you from using certain processes, premises or equipment
- recommending prosecution, in serious cases
Find out what to expect from a food safety inspection.
Food hygiene regulations
Food hygiene regulations set out requirements covering all aspects of your business. You must make sure that:
- your establishments meet hygiene standards
- staff follow good personal hygiene practice
- food safety hazards are identified and controlled, including cooking, refrigeration and cross contamination
- staff receive appropriate instruction or training in food hygiene, and are supervised
Depending on the nature of your business, you may also need to keep written records of how you manage food safety hazards.
You must put food safety management procedures in place based on the principles of HACCP (hazard analysis critical control point). In practice, this means that you must have documented procedures to manage food safety hazards in your business.
New rules on food safety culture
In March 2021, the EU adopted Regulation (EU) 2021/382 which introduced 'food safety culture' into the main EU food hygiene law.
This new requirement means food businesses in the EU must build a culture where everyone, from management to staff, understands and prioritises food safety in their everyday work.
Because the UK had already left the EU by the time this update was made, it doesn’t apply in Great Britain. However, under the Windsor Framework, EU food safety laws (including this update) still apply in Northern Ireland.
So, in practice, food safety culture is a legal requirement in Northern Ireland, but not in Great Britain. Local councils in Northern Ireland can look at how a business promotes food safety culture when they carry out inspections or other official checks.
Guides such as the Safe Catering Pack, Safer food better business and industry guides will assist you in meeting food hygiene legal requirements.
Developed withActionsAlso on this siteContent category
Source URL
/content/food-hygiene-and-law
Links
Cleaning, disinfection and preventing food cross-contamination
Follow good cleaning practices to help prevent food poisoning from occurring through cross-contamination.
Cleaning, disinfection and preventing cross-contamination are essential to make sure the food you serve is safe to eat, and to prevent food poisoning.
Cleaning, disinfection and food hygiene
Effective cleaning, and disinfection where necessary, removes bacteria from hands, equipment and surfaces. This helps prevent harmful bacteria spreading onto food. You should:
- wash and disinfect work surfaces and equipment between different tasks and after preparing raw meat, shellfish, poultry and eggs
- clean as you go, dealing with spills as they happen
- use appropriate cleaning products and follow the manufacturer's instructions
- use disinfectants that meet recognised standards such as BS EN 1276 or BS EN 13697
- prevent food waste building up
Hand washing is a key part of food hygiene. Anyone who handles food must wash their hands:
- before starting work
- before handling food
- after breaks
- after using the toilet
- after emptying rubbish
- after cleaning
- after touching raw meat, poultry or eggs
- after touching a cut or changing a dressing
Download hand-washing guidance (PDF, 572KB).
Cross-contamination
Cross-contamination happens when harmful bacteria spread from food, surfaces, hands or equipment onto other food. It is most likely to happen when:
- raw food touches or drips onto other food
- raw food touches or drips onto equipment, work surfaces or cloths
- staff handle raw food with their hands and then touch ready-to-eat food
For example, storing raw meat above ready-to-eat food in the fridge can contaminate the food below.
How to prevent food cross-contamination
To prevent cross-contamination in your business, you should:
- Clean and disinfect work surfaces, chopping boards and equipment before preparing food and after using them with raw food.
- Use separate, colour-coded equipment (including chopping boards and knives) for raw meat/poultry and ready-to-eat food unless they can be heat disinfected in, for example, a commercial dishwasher.
- Wash hands before preparing food and after touching raw food.
- Keep raw and ready-to-eat food apart at all times, including packaging.
- Store raw food below ready-to-eat food in the fridge or use separate fridges for raw and ready-to-eat food.
- Provide separate working areas, storage, clothing and staff for the handling of ready-to-eat food.
- Use separate machinery and equipment, such as vacuum packing machines, slicers and mincers, for raw and ready-to-eat food.
- Use separate cleaning materials, including cloths, sponges and mops, in areas where ready-to-eat foods are stored, handled and prepared.
- Train staff to understand how to avoid cross-contamination.
Developed withAlso on this siteContent category
Source URL
/content/cleaning-disinfection-and-preventing-food-cross-contamination
Links
Cooking and chilling food
Guidance for food businesses on preventing food poisoning by ensuring food is properly cooked and chilled.
Cooking and chilling are both essential to make sure the food you serve in your food business is safe to eat, and to prevent food poisoning.
Cooking food in your food business
Thorough cooking at the correct temperature kills harmful bacteria in food. You must not serve food that is not fully cooked. You should serve cooked food immediately or keep it hot until serving. If you're cooking food in advance, cool and chill it quickly.
It is important to make sure that you fully cook:
- poultry
- pork
- rolled joints
- products made from minced meat, such as burgers and sausages
These foods must not be served pink or rare, as they could harbour bacteria if undercooked. These foods should be steaming hot all the way through.
Whole cuts of beef and lamb, such as steaks, cutlets and whole joints, can be served pink or rare as long as they are fully sealed on the outside.
Chilling food in your food business
Chilling food to the correct temperature stops bacteria from growing. The Food Standards Agency recommends chilling food at 0-5 degrees Celsius. Chilling food below 8 degrees Celsius is a legal requirement.
You must keep some foods chilled to keep them safe. For example:
- food with a 'use by' date
- food that you have cooked and not served immediately
- ready-to-eat food such as prepared salads
Guidelines for chilling food
You should always:
- check chilled food on delivery to make sure it is cold enough
- refrigerate chilled food immediately
- cool cooked food as quickly as possible before chilling
- keep chilled food out of the fridge for the shortest time possible during preparation
- avoid overloading fridges
- regularly check the temperature of your fridge and refrigerated display units
Developed withActionsAlso on this siteContent category
Source URL
/content/cooking-and-chilling-food
Links
Handling food and fitness to work
Food handling hygiene and fitness to work in the food industry, including food-related illnesses and symptoms.
Anyone working with or near open food who has certain infections - bacterial or viral - must take precautions to prevent contamination.
Staff handling food or working in a food handling area must immediately report symptoms such as diarrhoea and/or vomiting to their manager. These symptoms are associated with illnesses that can be transmitted through food.
You must not allow anyone with these symptoms to work with or around open food, usually until 48 hours after symptoms have stopped.
Food business operators should follow guidance from the Food Standards Agency on good hygiene practices in food preparation and Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) processes.
Importance of washing hands
Anyone who handles food and works around open food must wash and dry their hands thoroughly before handling food or touching surfaces likely to come into contact with food. Food workers must always wash their hands after using the toilet. People can carry infection even if they do not show symptoms.
Read more about cleaning, disinfection and preventing food cross-contamination.
Developed withAlso on this siteContent category
Source URL
/content/handling-food-and-fitness-work
Links
Food safety myths - true or false?
Food safety myths and whether they are true or false - including best before dates, rare meat and washing raw chicken.
This section addresses common misunderstandings that can lead to unsafe food practices. Businesses should rely on food hygiene law and recognised guidance, not myths, when handling food.
The Food Standards Agency has compiled a list of common questions and answers to dispel any food safety and hygiene-related myths.
1. True or False: If food looks ok and smells ok it's safe to eat
False - it's a myth
Although a bad smell or taste can indicate that food has 'gone off', these signs often aren't caused by germs that give you food poisoning. So the food's appearance, smell or taste aren't reliable warning signs. Instead, stick to the 'use by' date and storage instructions on the packet.
2. True or False: Eating food after the 'best before' date won't hurt
True - it's a food safety fact
'Best before' dates are about food quality, not safety. They are usually found on food that lasts a long time. If food has passed its 'best before' date, it doesn't mean it's unsafe, but it might have started to lose its colour, flavour or texture.
3. True or False: 'Use by' dates are there to make you buy more
False - it's a myth
A 'use by' date tells you how long food will stay safe. They have to be put on food that 'goes off' quickly - and they aren't just guesswork; the dates are worked out by scientific testing. Don't be tempted to eat food after the 'use by' date on the label, even if it looks and smells fine.
4. True or False: Stick to the 'five second rule' and you'll be ok
False - it's a myth
We've all been there! That delicious slice of cake slips from your fingers and lands on the floor, and you think surely it will be ok if I pick it up quickly enough? Well, unfortunately - no! However quickly you manage to retrieve it, any contact with the floor is long enough for the food to pick up nasty germs.
5. True or False: Plastic chopping boards are more hygienic than wooden ones
False - it's a myth
There isn't any strong evidence that one type of chopping board is more or less hygienic than another, whether plastic, wooden, glass or even marble. What is important is that the board gets cleaned properly after every use and is replaced if it gets damaged, for example from deep cuts or scoring. You could also use separate chopping boards for raw and ready-to-eat foods.
6. True or False: You don't need to wash raw chicken before you cook it
True - it's a food safety fact
Although most raw meat will have some germs on it, washing won't get rid of them. In fact, washing is more likely to spread germs around the kitchen. Little splashes of water can contaminate you, your worktops and anything else in the way. Thorough cooking is the only way to get rid of these nasty germs.
7. True or False: If you've got a 'dodgy' stomach it's usually from the last thing you ate
False - it's a myth
It's natural to suspect the thing you ate most recently would be the cause of food poisoning, but that isn't always the case. Symptoms usually take between one and three days to develop, so it won't necessarily be from the last thing you ate.
8. True or False: Most food poisoning is from 'dodgy' restaurants and takeaways
False - it's a myth
There's no specific evidence that food eaten out is more likely to cause food poisoning than food prepared at home, but it's easier to blame someone else. The habits we pick up from friends and family don't always ensure food is produced safely at home. As well as expecting good hygiene standards when eating out, we should also think about how to do things better at home.
9. True or False: Food poisoning isn't serious, it's just an upset stomach
False - it's a myth
Although most cases of food poisoning are mild and last only a day or two, some can be far more serious, even deadly. Thankfully this is rare, but with more than a million cases of food poisoning each year, 20,000 of which require hospital treatment, every case is worth avoiding. Avoid food poisoning by remembering the simple 4Cs for good food hygiene: cleaning, cooking, chilling and cross-contamination.
10. True or False: Steak's ok rare - as long as the outside is brown
True - it's a food safety fact
Steak is safe to eat 'rare'. Whole cuts of beef or lamb, such as steaks, cutlets and joints only have germs on the outside, so as long as the outside is fully cooked any germs will be killed. But this isn't true for poultry, pork, burgers and sausages, these must be cooked all the way through.
11. True or False: It's best to serve burgers pink in the middle
False - it's a myth
Unlike steaks, burgers and sausages are made from meat that has been minced, so germs will be spread throughout the product and not just on the surface. This means these products need to be properly cooked all the way through. To check if a burger is done, cut into the thickest part and check there is no pink meat, it is steaming hot and juices are clear.
12. True or False: Cooked rice can't be kept as long as other leftovers
True - it's a food safety fact
Leftover cooked rice is fine to eat as long as it gets cooled and refrigerated quickly after cooking and eaten within 24 hours. This is because rice can contain a particularly tough type of bacteria that can survive heating. Most other leftovers are safe to eat up to two days after cooking. Always reheat leftovers until steaming hot and do not reheat more than once.
Developed withAlso on this siteContent category
Source URL
/content/food-safety-myths-true-or-false
Links
Storing and handling eggs safely
Why caterers need to be careful when they use eggs and how to prevent the spread of salmonella bacteria.
You should store, handle and prepare eggs carefully to prevent the spread of salmonella bacteria. Bacteria can be on the shell or in the egg itself, and can spread to other foods if eggs come into contact with them (or with hands and cooking utensils).
Salmonella can cause serious food poisoning, particularly in vulnerable groups such as:
- elderly people
- unwell people
- people who have a weakened immune system
- pregnant women
- babies and toddlers
Ten tips for working with eggs safely
To prevent risks associated with salmonella food poisoning, food businesses should:
- Keep eggs separate from other foods.
- Cook eggs and egg dishes thoroughly.
- Use pasteurised egg for raw or lightly cooked dishes.
- Always wash and dry your hands thoroughly after handling eggs.
- Never use damaged or dirty eggs.
- Serve egg dishes immediately or cool them quickly and keep chilled.
- Avoid splashing egg onto worktops, utensils or other foods.
- Clean food areas and equipment thoroughly after working with eggs.
- If breaking eggs to use later (sometimes called 'pooling'), keep the liquid egg refrigerated and take out small amounts as needed.
- Use 'pooled' egg the same day and do not add new eggs to top it up.
Developed withAlso on this siteContent category
Source URL
/content/storing-and-handling-eggs-safely
Links
Food hygiene: ten top tips
Follow these ten key steps to prevent cross-contamination and food poisoning in your business.
Cross-contamination is when bacteria spread between food, surfaces or equipment. It is one of the most common causes of food poisoning. Use this quick checklist every day to minimise food hygiene risks in your business.
- Clean and disinfect work surfaces, chopping boards and equipment thoroughly before preparing food and after using them with raw food.
- Use separate, colour-coded chopping boards and knives for raw meat/poultry and ready-to-eat food (unless they can be heat disinfected in a commercial dishwasher).
- Wash your hands before preparing food and after touching raw food.
- Keep raw and ready-to-eat food separate from one another at all times, including packaging material for ready-to-eat food.
- Store raw food below ready-to-eat food in the fridge. If possible, use separate fridges for raw and ready-to-eat food.
- Provide separate working areas, storage facilities, clothing and staff for the handling of ready-to-eat food.
- Use separate equipment, such as vacuum packing machines, slicers and mincers, for raw and ready-to-eat food.
- Use separate cleaning materials, including cloths, sponges and mops, in areas where ready-to-eat foods are stored, handled and prepared.
- Train your staff so they understand how to avoid cross-contamination
For more advice, read about food hygiene and the law.
Developed withAlso on this sitePrimary parentContent category
Source URL
/content/food-hygiene-ten-top-tips
Links
Cooking and chilling food
Food hygiene and the law
Information on legal requirements concerning food hygiene for food businesses.
Food businesses must register with their local council and comply with food law.
Food business registration
You must register your business with the environmental health service (EHS) at your local council at least 28 days before opening. Food operations include:
- selling food
- cooking food
- preparing food
- distributing food
- storing food
- handling food
You may also need to have your business approved if you supply another business with:
- meat and meat products
- eggs
- milk and dairy products
- fish and fish products
For information on how to register, contact the EHS at your local council. They can also advise you on the food hygiene law, and how it applies to your business in practice.
Food hygiene and safety inspections
Food safety enforcement officers from your local council will inspect your business to make sure you are complying with food hygiene law. Inspections are usually unannounced.
Where necessary, inspectors can take enforcement action to protect public health, including:
- serving a legal notice that sets out actions you must take, or forbidding you from using certain processes, premises or equipment
- recommending prosecution, in serious cases
Find out what to expect from a food safety inspection.
Food hygiene regulations
Food hygiene regulations set out requirements covering all aspects of your business. You must make sure that:
- your establishments meet hygiene standards
- staff follow good personal hygiene practice
- food safety hazards are identified and controlled, including cooking, refrigeration and cross contamination
- staff receive appropriate instruction or training in food hygiene, and are supervised
Depending on the nature of your business, you may also need to keep written records of how you manage food safety hazards.
You must put food safety management procedures in place based on the principles of HACCP (hazard analysis critical control point). In practice, this means that you must have documented procedures to manage food safety hazards in your business.
New rules on food safety culture
In March 2021, the EU adopted Regulation (EU) 2021/382 which introduced 'food safety culture' into the main EU food hygiene law.
This new requirement means food businesses in the EU must build a culture where everyone, from management to staff, understands and prioritises food safety in their everyday work.
Because the UK had already left the EU by the time this update was made, it doesn’t apply in Great Britain. However, under the Windsor Framework, EU food safety laws (including this update) still apply in Northern Ireland.
So, in practice, food safety culture is a legal requirement in Northern Ireland, but not in Great Britain. Local councils in Northern Ireland can look at how a business promotes food safety culture when they carry out inspections or other official checks.
Guides such as the Safe Catering Pack, Safer food better business and industry guides will assist you in meeting food hygiene legal requirements.
Developed withActionsAlso on this siteContent category
Source URL
/content/food-hygiene-and-law
Links
Cleaning, disinfection and preventing food cross-contamination
Follow good cleaning practices to help prevent food poisoning from occurring through cross-contamination.
Cleaning, disinfection and preventing cross-contamination are essential to make sure the food you serve is safe to eat, and to prevent food poisoning.
Cleaning, disinfection and food hygiene
Effective cleaning, and disinfection where necessary, removes bacteria from hands, equipment and surfaces. This helps prevent harmful bacteria spreading onto food. You should:
- wash and disinfect work surfaces and equipment between different tasks and after preparing raw meat, shellfish, poultry and eggs
- clean as you go, dealing with spills as they happen
- use appropriate cleaning products and follow the manufacturer's instructions
- use disinfectants that meet recognised standards such as BS EN 1276 or BS EN 13697
- prevent food waste building up
Hand washing is a key part of food hygiene. Anyone who handles food must wash their hands:
- before starting work
- before handling food
- after breaks
- after using the toilet
- after emptying rubbish
- after cleaning
- after touching raw meat, poultry or eggs
- after touching a cut or changing a dressing
Download hand-washing guidance (PDF, 572KB).
Cross-contamination
Cross-contamination happens when harmful bacteria spread from food, surfaces, hands or equipment onto other food. It is most likely to happen when:
- raw food touches or drips onto other food
- raw food touches or drips onto equipment, work surfaces or cloths
- staff handle raw food with their hands and then touch ready-to-eat food
For example, storing raw meat above ready-to-eat food in the fridge can contaminate the food below.
How to prevent food cross-contamination
To prevent cross-contamination in your business, you should:
- Clean and disinfect work surfaces, chopping boards and equipment before preparing food and after using them with raw food.
- Use separate, colour-coded equipment (including chopping boards and knives) for raw meat/poultry and ready-to-eat food unless they can be heat disinfected in, for example, a commercial dishwasher.
- Wash hands before preparing food and after touching raw food.
- Keep raw and ready-to-eat food apart at all times, including packaging.
- Store raw food below ready-to-eat food in the fridge or use separate fridges for raw and ready-to-eat food.
- Provide separate working areas, storage, clothing and staff for the handling of ready-to-eat food.
- Use separate machinery and equipment, such as vacuum packing machines, slicers and mincers, for raw and ready-to-eat food.
- Use separate cleaning materials, including cloths, sponges and mops, in areas where ready-to-eat foods are stored, handled and prepared.
- Train staff to understand how to avoid cross-contamination.
Developed withAlso on this siteContent category
Source URL
/content/cleaning-disinfection-and-preventing-food-cross-contamination
Links
Cooking and chilling food
Guidance for food businesses on preventing food poisoning by ensuring food is properly cooked and chilled.
Cooking and chilling are both essential to make sure the food you serve in your food business is safe to eat, and to prevent food poisoning.
Cooking food in your food business
Thorough cooking at the correct temperature kills harmful bacteria in food. You must not serve food that is not fully cooked. You should serve cooked food immediately or keep it hot until serving. If you're cooking food in advance, cool and chill it quickly.
It is important to make sure that you fully cook:
- poultry
- pork
- rolled joints
- products made from minced meat, such as burgers and sausages
These foods must not be served pink or rare, as they could harbour bacteria if undercooked. These foods should be steaming hot all the way through.
Whole cuts of beef and lamb, such as steaks, cutlets and whole joints, can be served pink or rare as long as they are fully sealed on the outside.
Chilling food in your food business
Chilling food to the correct temperature stops bacteria from growing. The Food Standards Agency recommends chilling food at 0-5 degrees Celsius. Chilling food below 8 degrees Celsius is a legal requirement.
You must keep some foods chilled to keep them safe. For example:
- food with a 'use by' date
- food that you have cooked and not served immediately
- ready-to-eat food such as prepared salads
Guidelines for chilling food
You should always:
- check chilled food on delivery to make sure it is cold enough
- refrigerate chilled food immediately
- cool cooked food as quickly as possible before chilling
- keep chilled food out of the fridge for the shortest time possible during preparation
- avoid overloading fridges
- regularly check the temperature of your fridge and refrigerated display units
Developed withActionsAlso on this siteContent category
Source URL
/content/cooking-and-chilling-food
Links
Handling food and fitness to work
Food handling hygiene and fitness to work in the food industry, including food-related illnesses and symptoms.
Anyone working with or near open food who has certain infections - bacterial or viral - must take precautions to prevent contamination.
Staff handling food or working in a food handling area must immediately report symptoms such as diarrhoea and/or vomiting to their manager. These symptoms are associated with illnesses that can be transmitted through food.
You must not allow anyone with these symptoms to work with or around open food, usually until 48 hours after symptoms have stopped.
Food business operators should follow guidance from the Food Standards Agency on good hygiene practices in food preparation and Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) processes.
Importance of washing hands
Anyone who handles food and works around open food must wash and dry their hands thoroughly before handling food or touching surfaces likely to come into contact with food. Food workers must always wash their hands after using the toilet. People can carry infection even if they do not show symptoms.
Read more about cleaning, disinfection and preventing food cross-contamination.
Developed withAlso on this siteContent category
Source URL
/content/handling-food-and-fitness-work
Links
Food safety myths - true or false?
Food safety myths and whether they are true or false - including best before dates, rare meat and washing raw chicken.
This section addresses common misunderstandings that can lead to unsafe food practices. Businesses should rely on food hygiene law and recognised guidance, not myths, when handling food.
The Food Standards Agency has compiled a list of common questions and answers to dispel any food safety and hygiene-related myths.
1. True or False: If food looks ok and smells ok it's safe to eat
False - it's a myth
Although a bad smell or taste can indicate that food has 'gone off', these signs often aren't caused by germs that give you food poisoning. So the food's appearance, smell or taste aren't reliable warning signs. Instead, stick to the 'use by' date and storage instructions on the packet.
2. True or False: Eating food after the 'best before' date won't hurt
True - it's a food safety fact
'Best before' dates are about food quality, not safety. They are usually found on food that lasts a long time. If food has passed its 'best before' date, it doesn't mean it's unsafe, but it might have started to lose its colour, flavour or texture.
3. True or False: 'Use by' dates are there to make you buy more
False - it's a myth
A 'use by' date tells you how long food will stay safe. They have to be put on food that 'goes off' quickly - and they aren't just guesswork; the dates are worked out by scientific testing. Don't be tempted to eat food after the 'use by' date on the label, even if it looks and smells fine.
4. True or False: Stick to the 'five second rule' and you'll be ok
False - it's a myth
We've all been there! That delicious slice of cake slips from your fingers and lands on the floor, and you think surely it will be ok if I pick it up quickly enough? Well, unfortunately - no! However quickly you manage to retrieve it, any contact with the floor is long enough for the food to pick up nasty germs.
5. True or False: Plastic chopping boards are more hygienic than wooden ones
False - it's a myth
There isn't any strong evidence that one type of chopping board is more or less hygienic than another, whether plastic, wooden, glass or even marble. What is important is that the board gets cleaned properly after every use and is replaced if it gets damaged, for example from deep cuts or scoring. You could also use separate chopping boards for raw and ready-to-eat foods.
6. True or False: You don't need to wash raw chicken before you cook it
True - it's a food safety fact
Although most raw meat will have some germs on it, washing won't get rid of them. In fact, washing is more likely to spread germs around the kitchen. Little splashes of water can contaminate you, your worktops and anything else in the way. Thorough cooking is the only way to get rid of these nasty germs.
7. True or False: If you've got a 'dodgy' stomach it's usually from the last thing you ate
False - it's a myth
It's natural to suspect the thing you ate most recently would be the cause of food poisoning, but that isn't always the case. Symptoms usually take between one and three days to develop, so it won't necessarily be from the last thing you ate.
8. True or False: Most food poisoning is from 'dodgy' restaurants and takeaways
False - it's a myth
There's no specific evidence that food eaten out is more likely to cause food poisoning than food prepared at home, but it's easier to blame someone else. The habits we pick up from friends and family don't always ensure food is produced safely at home. As well as expecting good hygiene standards when eating out, we should also think about how to do things better at home.
9. True or False: Food poisoning isn't serious, it's just an upset stomach
False - it's a myth
Although most cases of food poisoning are mild and last only a day or two, some can be far more serious, even deadly. Thankfully this is rare, but with more than a million cases of food poisoning each year, 20,000 of which require hospital treatment, every case is worth avoiding. Avoid food poisoning by remembering the simple 4Cs for good food hygiene: cleaning, cooking, chilling and cross-contamination.
10. True or False: Steak's ok rare - as long as the outside is brown
True - it's a food safety fact
Steak is safe to eat 'rare'. Whole cuts of beef or lamb, such as steaks, cutlets and joints only have germs on the outside, so as long as the outside is fully cooked any germs will be killed. But this isn't true for poultry, pork, burgers and sausages, these must be cooked all the way through.
11. True or False: It's best to serve burgers pink in the middle
False - it's a myth
Unlike steaks, burgers and sausages are made from meat that has been minced, so germs will be spread throughout the product and not just on the surface. This means these products need to be properly cooked all the way through. To check if a burger is done, cut into the thickest part and check there is no pink meat, it is steaming hot and juices are clear.
12. True or False: Cooked rice can't be kept as long as other leftovers
True - it's a food safety fact
Leftover cooked rice is fine to eat as long as it gets cooled and refrigerated quickly after cooking and eaten within 24 hours. This is because rice can contain a particularly tough type of bacteria that can survive heating. Most other leftovers are safe to eat up to two days after cooking. Always reheat leftovers until steaming hot and do not reheat more than once.
Developed withAlso on this siteContent category
Source URL
/content/food-safety-myths-true-or-false
Links
Storing and handling eggs safely
Why caterers need to be careful when they use eggs and how to prevent the spread of salmonella bacteria.
You should store, handle and prepare eggs carefully to prevent the spread of salmonella bacteria. Bacteria can be on the shell or in the egg itself, and can spread to other foods if eggs come into contact with them (or with hands and cooking utensils).
Salmonella can cause serious food poisoning, particularly in vulnerable groups such as:
- elderly people
- unwell people
- people who have a weakened immune system
- pregnant women
- babies and toddlers
Ten tips for working with eggs safely
To prevent risks associated with salmonella food poisoning, food businesses should:
- Keep eggs separate from other foods.
- Cook eggs and egg dishes thoroughly.
- Use pasteurised egg for raw or lightly cooked dishes.
- Always wash and dry your hands thoroughly after handling eggs.
- Never use damaged or dirty eggs.
- Serve egg dishes immediately or cool them quickly and keep chilled.
- Avoid splashing egg onto worktops, utensils or other foods.
- Clean food areas and equipment thoroughly after working with eggs.
- If breaking eggs to use later (sometimes called 'pooling'), keep the liquid egg refrigerated and take out small amounts as needed.
- Use 'pooled' egg the same day and do not add new eggs to top it up.
Developed withAlso on this siteContent category
Source URL
/content/storing-and-handling-eggs-safely
Links
Food hygiene: ten top tips
Follow these ten key steps to prevent cross-contamination and food poisoning in your business.
Cross-contamination is when bacteria spread between food, surfaces or equipment. It is one of the most common causes of food poisoning. Use this quick checklist every day to minimise food hygiene risks in your business.
- Clean and disinfect work surfaces, chopping boards and equipment thoroughly before preparing food and after using them with raw food.
- Use separate, colour-coded chopping boards and knives for raw meat/poultry and ready-to-eat food (unless they can be heat disinfected in a commercial dishwasher).
- Wash your hands before preparing food and after touching raw food.
- Keep raw and ready-to-eat food separate from one another at all times, including packaging material for ready-to-eat food.
- Store raw food below ready-to-eat food in the fridge. If possible, use separate fridges for raw and ready-to-eat food.
- Provide separate working areas, storage facilities, clothing and staff for the handling of ready-to-eat food.
- Use separate equipment, such as vacuum packing machines, slicers and mincers, for raw and ready-to-eat food.
- Use separate cleaning materials, including cloths, sponges and mops, in areas where ready-to-eat foods are stored, handled and prepared.
- Train your staff so they understand how to avoid cross-contamination
For more advice, read about food hygiene and the law.
Developed withAlso on this sitePrimary parentContent category
Source URL
/content/food-hygiene-ten-top-tips
Links
Rules for the slaughter of livestock and wild game
Food safety regulations for butchers
Information and guidance on food hygiene and labelling regulations for butchers.
If you run a butchery business, there are several rules that you must comply with.
What is 'meat'?
The definition of meat is 'skeletal muscle of mammalian and bird species recognised as fit for human consumption with naturally included or attached tissue'. The definition does not include 'mechanically separated meat'. Regulations set limits for the amount of fat and connective tissue (rind, tendon, sinew and skin) allowed.
Quantitative Ingredient Declarations (QUID declarations)
If you sell any food loose and not prepacked that contains 'meat' as defined above, you must label it with a QUID declaration.
You do not need to give a QUID if the ingredients:
- have only been used in small quantities as flavouring
- are used in varying proportions and can be labelled as fruit, vegetables, mushrooms, herbs or spices (such as in a vegetable soup)
- already have a quantity shown on the label as a ‘drained net weight’
You also do not need a QUID for ingredients that can vary in quantity without altering the character of the food or distinguishing it from similar foods. For example, you do not need to show a QUID for flour in a flour tortilla.
You must give the meat QUID when you sell loose or pre-packed-for-direct-sale products that contain meat and other ingredients (except in a catering environment). You must display the QUID on a label on the food or display it clearly where the customer can see it when they are choosing the product.
On pre-packed food, you must give this information either:
- as a percentage in brackets in the ingredients list after the name of the ingredient, for example ‘pork (80%)’
- in or next to the name of the food, for example ‘containing 80% pork’
Food safety advice for butchers
Butchers must comply with the same food hygiene laws as other food businesses. This includes following Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) principles.
Certain meat products must also meet marketing standards for food and drink products that set rules on quality, classification and labelling.
Under current operating arrangements for Northern Ireland, food products placed on the NI market continue to follow EU rules. If you move pre-packed retail goods from Great Britain to Northern Ireland, there are special movement and labelling rules under the Windsor Framework and the Northern Ireland Retail Movement Scheme. You should follow the latest guidance on that scheme if it applies to your business.
Also on this siteContent category
Source URL
/content/food-safety-regulations-butchers
Links
The Clean Livestock Policy
Overview of the cleanliness and hygiene regulations for cattle and sheep sent to slaughter.
In Northern Ireland, slaughterhouse operators should have their own clean livestock policy. This should be part of their Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) plan.
The policy is designed to make sure that all cattle and sheep presented for slaughter conform to an acceptable level of hygiene. This helps to prevent food poisoning caused by dirt or faeces on the animal's coat. Excrement and mud on coats could contaminate meat inside the slaughterhouse.
Inspection of animals
The responsibility for the production of safe food lies with the food business operator. You must use appropriate controls to show you are managing food safety. This includes cleanliness of animals at slaughter.
The slaughterhouse operator inspects animals at the ante-mortem stage for cleanliness and dryness. This check is against their own HACCP based procedures. These procedures will detail the actions they take when excessively dirty animals are presented for slaughter. This may include not slaughtering the animal until remedial action has been taken to meet the required standard of cleanliness. This is to help prevent the contamination of meat and reduce risks to public health.
Department of Agriculture, Environment & Rural Affairs (DAERA) officials verify that the slaughterhouse operator carries out these checks. This helps ensure safe food on behalf of the Food Standards Agency in slaughterhouses in Northern Ireland.
Also on this siteContent category
Source URL
/content/clean-livestock-policy
Links
Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point principles
Overview of the Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point or HACCP principles and how they apply to meat hygiene.
The Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) principles ensure the production of safe food.
HACCP is an internationally recognised system for food safety management. A food safety management system is a practical tool to control the food production environment. It helps you produce safe food by managing food safety, hygiene and processes to ensure the food produced is safe.
Food business operators must ensure that the food they produce is safe to eat. If you run a food business, then you must ensure you put in place effective food safety management procedures and working practices. You must be able to prove that you have done so.
To produce safe food for consumers, you must identify all food production safety hazards. You must then remove or reduce the hazards to an acceptable level. These food safety hazards may be biological, physical or chemical.
Seven HACCP principles
The HACCP system is recognised as the system for food safety management world-wide. It is a preventative approach to food safety based on the following seven principles:
- Identify any hazards that you must prevent, remove or reduce to acceptable levels
- Identify the critical control points (CCPs) at the step at which control is essential to prevent or remove a hazard or to reduce it to acceptable levels
- Establish critical limits at CCPs
- Establish procedures to monitor the CCPs
- Establish corrective actions you need to take if a CCP is not under control
- Establish procedures to verify whether the above procedures are working well
- Establish documents and records to show the effective application of the above measures
Controlling hazards
The HACCP approach provides a systematic way of identifying food safety hazards and controlling them. This involves the following four steps:
- plan - decide what you need to do to ensure food safety and write it down
- do - carry out your plan of action to maintain food safety
- check - monitor your HACCP activity against your HACCP plan and record your checks
- act - take action when food safety is at risk and write it down
Small food businesses in the UK can use the Food Standard Agency’s MyHACCP tool (free of charge) to work through the process of developing a food safety management system based on HACCP principles.
ActionsAlso on this siteContent category
Source URL
/content/hazard-analysis-and-critical-control-point-principles
Links
Rules for the slaughter of livestock and wild game
Guidance on food hygiene rules for slaughterhouses, those carrying out home slaughters and shooting wild game.
There are certain rules you should follow when slaughtering livestock. There are specific rules for slaughterhouses and 'home slaughters'. Different rules apply to the shooting of wild game.
Food chain information rules for slaughterhouses
EU food hygiene rules require slaughterhouse operators to 'request, receive, check and act upon' food chain information (FCI) for livestock sent for slaughter for human consumption. This applies to cattle, sheep, goats, pigs, poultry and horses for food use.
If you move pre-packed retail goods from Great Britain to Northern Ireland, there are special movement and labelling rules under the Windsor Framework and the Northern Ireland Retail Movement Scheme. Check the latest official guidance to see if these rules apply to your business.
The Food Standards Agency (FSA) has produced food chain information guidance to help food businesses intending to slaughter animals for food.
Home slaughter of livestock
In some cases, livestock may be slaughtered outside an approved slaughterhouse.
The term 'home slaughter' means the slaughter of a livestock animal by the animal's owner outside of an approved slaughterhouse on their property. This must be for their own personal consumption, or for consumption by members of their immediate family. They must comply with Transmissible Spongiform Encephalopathy (TSE) legislation and other rules regarding animal by-products.
Home slaughter is different from 'private slaughter'. This is where the owner of the animal sends it to an approved slaughterhouse. In private slaughter, government inspectors check the carcass, health mark it and the food business returns it to the owner.
If you have any doubt about the legal status of the slaughter, and how this may affect the meat's hygiene:
- contact the FSA for advice
- find your local council in Northern Ireland for guidance
Hygiene regulations for wild game
Any business involved in the shooting or supply of wild game for human consumption has a responsibility to ensure they maintain high levels of meat hygiene and produce safe food at all times.
These businesses will be required to:
- ensure that people hunting and handling wild game meat have the appropriate training
- comply with traceability requirements
- ensure that the game is stored, prepared and transported at hygienic temperatures
In addition, these businesses may be required to:
- register with their local council
- apply for approved game handling establishment status if processing wild game at a place of business and if supply is wider than the supply of small quantities to the final consumer or to retail outlets directly supplying the final consumer
The FSA has produced a wild game guide. This provides food hygiene regulations advice for people who shoot wild game and supply it directly to the final consumer or retail.
The British Quality Wild Venison standard
Wild venison producers and processors can apply to the national wild venison quality assurance scheme.
This voluntary scheme is open to applicants in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, and ensures a set of audited standards are met throughout the supply chain, from forests to the processing chain, to supermarket shelves.
The standard only relates to venison from wild deer that are legally culled for human consumption and are considered to be wild under the applicable laws in the UK.
ActionsAlso on this siteContent category
Source URL
/content/rules-slaughter-livestock-and-wild-game
Links
Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point principles
Food safety regulations for butchers
Information and guidance on food hygiene and labelling regulations for butchers.
If you run a butchery business, there are several rules that you must comply with.
What is 'meat'?
The definition of meat is 'skeletal muscle of mammalian and bird species recognised as fit for human consumption with naturally included or attached tissue'. The definition does not include 'mechanically separated meat'. Regulations set limits for the amount of fat and connective tissue (rind, tendon, sinew and skin) allowed.
Quantitative Ingredient Declarations (QUID declarations)
If you sell any food loose and not prepacked that contains 'meat' as defined above, you must label it with a QUID declaration.
You do not need to give a QUID if the ingredients:
- have only been used in small quantities as flavouring
- are used in varying proportions and can be labelled as fruit, vegetables, mushrooms, herbs or spices (such as in a vegetable soup)
- already have a quantity shown on the label as a ‘drained net weight’
You also do not need a QUID for ingredients that can vary in quantity without altering the character of the food or distinguishing it from similar foods. For example, you do not need to show a QUID for flour in a flour tortilla.
You must give the meat QUID when you sell loose or pre-packed-for-direct-sale products that contain meat and other ingredients (except in a catering environment). You must display the QUID on a label on the food or display it clearly where the customer can see it when they are choosing the product.
On pre-packed food, you must give this information either:
- as a percentage in brackets in the ingredients list after the name of the ingredient, for example ‘pork (80%)’
- in or next to the name of the food, for example ‘containing 80% pork’
Food safety advice for butchers
Butchers must comply with the same food hygiene laws as other food businesses. This includes following Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) principles.
Certain meat products must also meet marketing standards for food and drink products that set rules on quality, classification and labelling.
Under current operating arrangements for Northern Ireland, food products placed on the NI market continue to follow EU rules. If you move pre-packed retail goods from Great Britain to Northern Ireland, there are special movement and labelling rules under the Windsor Framework and the Northern Ireland Retail Movement Scheme. You should follow the latest guidance on that scheme if it applies to your business.
Also on this siteContent category
Source URL
/content/food-safety-regulations-butchers
Links
The Clean Livestock Policy
Overview of the cleanliness and hygiene regulations for cattle and sheep sent to slaughter.
In Northern Ireland, slaughterhouse operators should have their own clean livestock policy. This should be part of their Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) plan.
The policy is designed to make sure that all cattle and sheep presented for slaughter conform to an acceptable level of hygiene. This helps to prevent food poisoning caused by dirt or faeces on the animal's coat. Excrement and mud on coats could contaminate meat inside the slaughterhouse.
Inspection of animals
The responsibility for the production of safe food lies with the food business operator. You must use appropriate controls to show you are managing food safety. This includes cleanliness of animals at slaughter.
The slaughterhouse operator inspects animals at the ante-mortem stage for cleanliness and dryness. This check is against their own HACCP based procedures. These procedures will detail the actions they take when excessively dirty animals are presented for slaughter. This may include not slaughtering the animal until remedial action has been taken to meet the required standard of cleanliness. This is to help prevent the contamination of meat and reduce risks to public health.
Department of Agriculture, Environment & Rural Affairs (DAERA) officials verify that the slaughterhouse operator carries out these checks. This helps ensure safe food on behalf of the Food Standards Agency in slaughterhouses in Northern Ireland.
Also on this siteContent category
Source URL
/content/clean-livestock-policy
Links
Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point principles
Overview of the Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point or HACCP principles and how they apply to meat hygiene.
The Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) principles ensure the production of safe food.
HACCP is an internationally recognised system for food safety management. A food safety management system is a practical tool to control the food production environment. It helps you produce safe food by managing food safety, hygiene and processes to ensure the food produced is safe.
Food business operators must ensure that the food they produce is safe to eat. If you run a food business, then you must ensure you put in place effective food safety management procedures and working practices. You must be able to prove that you have done so.
To produce safe food for consumers, you must identify all food production safety hazards. You must then remove or reduce the hazards to an acceptable level. These food safety hazards may be biological, physical or chemical.
Seven HACCP principles
The HACCP system is recognised as the system for food safety management world-wide. It is a preventative approach to food safety based on the following seven principles:
- Identify any hazards that you must prevent, remove or reduce to acceptable levels
- Identify the critical control points (CCPs) at the step at which control is essential to prevent or remove a hazard or to reduce it to acceptable levels
- Establish critical limits at CCPs
- Establish procedures to monitor the CCPs
- Establish corrective actions you need to take if a CCP is not under control
- Establish procedures to verify whether the above procedures are working well
- Establish documents and records to show the effective application of the above measures
Controlling hazards
The HACCP approach provides a systematic way of identifying food safety hazards and controlling them. This involves the following four steps:
- plan - decide what you need to do to ensure food safety and write it down
- do - carry out your plan of action to maintain food safety
- check - monitor your HACCP activity against your HACCP plan and record your checks
- act - take action when food safety is at risk and write it down
Small food businesses in the UK can use the Food Standard Agency’s MyHACCP tool (free of charge) to work through the process of developing a food safety management system based on HACCP principles.
ActionsAlso on this siteContent category
Source URL
/content/hazard-analysis-and-critical-control-point-principles
Links
Rules for the slaughter of livestock and wild game
Guidance on food hygiene rules for slaughterhouses, those carrying out home slaughters and shooting wild game.
There are certain rules you should follow when slaughtering livestock. There are specific rules for slaughterhouses and 'home slaughters'. Different rules apply to the shooting of wild game.
Food chain information rules for slaughterhouses
EU food hygiene rules require slaughterhouse operators to 'request, receive, check and act upon' food chain information (FCI) for livestock sent for slaughter for human consumption. This applies to cattle, sheep, goats, pigs, poultry and horses for food use.
If you move pre-packed retail goods from Great Britain to Northern Ireland, there are special movement and labelling rules under the Windsor Framework and the Northern Ireland Retail Movement Scheme. Check the latest official guidance to see if these rules apply to your business.
The Food Standards Agency (FSA) has produced food chain information guidance to help food businesses intending to slaughter animals for food.
Home slaughter of livestock
In some cases, livestock may be slaughtered outside an approved slaughterhouse.
The term 'home slaughter' means the slaughter of a livestock animal by the animal's owner outside of an approved slaughterhouse on their property. This must be for their own personal consumption, or for consumption by members of their immediate family. They must comply with Transmissible Spongiform Encephalopathy (TSE) legislation and other rules regarding animal by-products.
Home slaughter is different from 'private slaughter'. This is where the owner of the animal sends it to an approved slaughterhouse. In private slaughter, government inspectors check the carcass, health mark it and the food business returns it to the owner.
If you have any doubt about the legal status of the slaughter, and how this may affect the meat's hygiene:
- contact the FSA for advice
- find your local council in Northern Ireland for guidance
Hygiene regulations for wild game
Any business involved in the shooting or supply of wild game for human consumption has a responsibility to ensure they maintain high levels of meat hygiene and produce safe food at all times.
These businesses will be required to:
- ensure that people hunting and handling wild game meat have the appropriate training
- comply with traceability requirements
- ensure that the game is stored, prepared and transported at hygienic temperatures
In addition, these businesses may be required to:
- register with their local council
- apply for approved game handling establishment status if processing wild game at a place of business and if supply is wider than the supply of small quantities to the final consumer or to retail outlets directly supplying the final consumer
The FSA has produced a wild game guide. This provides food hygiene regulations advice for people who shoot wild game and supply it directly to the final consumer or retail.
The British Quality Wild Venison standard
Wild venison producers and processors can apply to the national wild venison quality assurance scheme.
This voluntary scheme is open to applicants in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, and ensures a set of audited standards are met throughout the supply chain, from forests to the processing chain, to supermarket shelves.
The standard only relates to venison from wild deer that are legally culled for human consumption and are considered to be wild under the applicable laws in the UK.
ActionsAlso on this siteContent category
Source URL
/content/rules-slaughter-livestock-and-wild-game
Links