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Food withdrawals and recalls
What is a food incident?
Overview of food and feed incidents, and definitions of health and safety in food and feed.
A food incident happens when there are concerns about the safety of a food or animal feed product and action may need to be taken to protect people or animals.
What is unsafe food or feed?
Food is 'unsafe' if it is harmful to health or unfit to eat. Food that is unfit includes food that doesn't meet quality standards, but isn't necessarily harmful to health.
Animal feed is unsafe if it has a direct adverse effect on human or animal health, or makes edible animal products unsafe to eat.
Reporting unsafe food
You must report unsafe food or feed to the relevant authorities, even if you no longer hold them. The relevant authorities may include:
- Food Standards Agency (FSA) - for food
- Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA) - for feed
It may also be a good idea to inform your trade association.
Types of food incidents
The FSA defines a food incident as any event where there are concerns about the safety, quality or integrity of food or feed, that could need action to protect consumers.
The main categories of incidents are:
- contamination during processing, distribution, retail or catering
- incorrect food labelling - such as missing allergens on a food label
- environmental pollution - such as a fire or chemical or oil spills
Incidents are classified by potential impact as:
- routine
- serious
- severe
- major
Following investigation, these incidents may mean that food or feed must be either:
- 'withdrawn' - removed from sales and taken off the shelves
- 'recalled' - removed from sales and customers asked to return the product
See more on food withdrawals and recalls.
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How to report a food or animal feed incident
Who to contact and how to report suspected unsafe food or feed.
A 'food incident' is when there are concerns about the safety of a food (or animal feed) product and action may need to be taken to protect consumers. See what is a food incident.
You can report a food or animal feed incident to the Food Standards Agency (FSA) through their incident report form.
You can also contact the FSA Northern Ireland on Tel 0330 332 7149 or by email at fsa.incidentsni@food.gov.uk.
Food crime, which is fraud affecting the safety or authenticity of food, drink or animal feed, is different to food incidents. For more information, see how to report food fraud and read more about food crime.
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How to report food fraud
Process of reporting mislabelling, substitution and other types of food fraud to the Food Standards Agency.
Food crime is deliberate fraud in food, drink or feed supply chains. There are many different types of food crime, including:
- theft
- illegal processing
- adulteration or substitution
- waste diversion
- document fraud
- misrepresentation - ie marketing or labelling a product to wrongly portray its quality, safety, origin or freshness
Reporting food crime
If you are a whistleblower or a member of the public wishing to report a food crime, you can contact the National Food Crime Unit (NFCU) confidential hotline on Tel 0800 028 11 80.
Alternatively, you can report a food safety concern online.
Local authorities are responsible for cases of poor food hygiene where there is no deliberate dishonesty or intention to deceive customers.
If you decide to report food fraud by whistleblowing, public interest disclosure law protects you from unfair treatment from your employer.
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Food withdrawals and recalls
How to plan and prepare for carrying out food withdrawal and recalls in case you experience a food incident.
If a food incident happens, you may need to recall or withdraw a food product. It is important to plan ahead and have procedures in place so you can act quickly if a recall or withdrawal is required.
What are food withdrawals and recalls?
A withdrawal is when unsafe food is removed from the supply chain before it has reached consumers.
A recall is when unsafe food is removed from the supply chain and consumers are advised to take appropriate action, for example, to return or dispose of the unsafe food.
Withdrawals and recalls guidance
The Food Standards Agency (FSA) has produced guidance to explain what the law requires and what businesses need to do if they experience a food incident. The guidance includes advice and best practice on:
- traceability systems
- making a decision on carrying out a withdrawal or recall
- roles and responsibilities
- how to inform consumers of a food recall
Find the FSA's guidance on food raceability, withdrawals and recalls within the UK food industry. Additional resources are also available to help you carry out a recall, including sample decision logs, notification templates, best practice examples and more.
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Food safety alerts
Overview of the different types of food alerts, how to deal with them and where to get help.
The Food Standards Agency (FSA) issues food alerts to warn about food safety risks. These alerts go to consumers, local councils and port authorities.
Types of food alert
There are different types of alerts:
- Food Alert for Action (FAFA) is issued where intervention by enforcement authorities is needed. These notices are often issued in conjunction with a product withdrawal or recall.
- Product Recall Information Notice (PRIN) makes the public aware an unsafe food product is being removed from the supply chain, and advises them to take appropriate action (for example, to return or dispose of the unsafe food).
- Allergy Alert (AA) tells the public that a product has missing or incorrect allergen labelling.
Businesses should check the FSA’s alerts regularly. You can also subscribe to get food and allergy alerts by email or text message.
Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed (RASFF)
The RASFF is an EU network for sharing urgent information about unsafe food or animal feed. EU member states use it to alert each other quickly about risks, such as contamination or unfit products, so they can take action like recalls.
The UK is no longer a full RASFF member but the EU-UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement sets up information exchange on food safety. The FSA receives relevant RASFF notifications in real time and turns them into UK-specific alerts, so UK businesses can see relevant threats without direct EU access.
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How to prevent and manage food risks and incidents
Put measures in place to prevent food and feed incidents, and minimise food safety risks.
Businesses must ensure safe food practices concerning their products, premises and working conditions.
This is the best way to prevent cases of food crime and minimise food and feed incidents.
Responsibility of food and feed businesses
Food and feed business operators in Northern Ireland must comply with the relevant hygiene regulations. They must put in place a food hygiene system based on the Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP) principles.
HACCP advises you to:
- conduct a hazard analysis
- identify critical control points
- set monitoring for critical control points
- establish critical limits
- plan corrective actions
- keep relevant records
- establish procedures for ensuring the HACCP system is working as intended
With these procedures in place, you can set up critical control points, or key actions that can be taken to prevent further hazards. Use the Food Standards Agency's (FSA) safe catering pack for small businesses.
If a food or feed safety incident occurs
Where you have experienced a food or feed safety incident, you should conduct a root cause analysis (RCA) to understand how and why it happened. It will help you identify actions to prevent future incidents.
You can use the results of the RCA to review how you manage food safety and hygiene in your food business. This includes traceability, withdrawal and recall of unsafe food.
To help businesses understand RCA, the FSA has developed a Root Cause Analysis e-learning course.
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Complying with food safety and hygiene standards - Kaffe O and Belfast City Council (video)
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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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Food crime
Overview of food regulation and legislation
An overview of the laws, regulations, codes of practice and guidance for running a food business.
Food law is made up of legislation, codes of practice and guidance that regulate all stages of the food chain. These controls apply whether food is produced domestically or imported, and are designed to ensure consistency and safety from farm to fork.
Food regulation covers:
- production
- processing
- packaging and labelling
- importing
- distribution
- retailing and catering
Understanding how these rules fit together helps businesses identify which requirements apply to their activities and where to seek further guidance.
The Food Standards Act 1999
The Food Standards Act gives the Food Standards Agency (FSA) its statutory functions and enforcement powers. The agency’s role is to protect public health and consumers' interests in relation to food. It also works to ensure that food regulation is applied consistently and proportionately, and that businesses are not burdened by excessive or unclear regulations.
General food law
The main general food legislation applying in Northern Ireland includes:
- the Food Safety (Northern Ireland) Order, which provides the framework for food legislation in Northern Ireland and creates offences in relation to safety, quality and labelling
- the General Food Law Regulation (EC), which creates general principles and requirements of food law
- the Food Hygiene Regulations (Northern Ireland)
- the EU Food Hygiene Regulations
There are also specific regulations covering:
- feed hygiene for businesses placing food materials into animal feed - Feed Hygiene Regulations
- food information for consumers, including allergen labelling - Food Information for Consumers
- chemical safety, including contaminants, approved additives and food supplements
Under current arrangements, food products placed on the Northern Ireland market continue to follow EU food law. The Windsor Framework allows certain Great Britain standards to apply to qualifying retail goods moved to NI under the Northern Ireland Retail Movement Scheme.
Responsibilities for food businesses
Food law places clear responsibilities on food business operators, regardless of size or type of business. These duties are intended to ensure food is safe, accurately described and suitable for consumption at every stage of the food chain.
Under the Food Safety (Northern Ireland) Order, food businesses must make sure that:
- nothing is included in food, removed from food, or food is not treated in any way that would harm the health of people eating it
- food is of the nature, substance and quality that consumers would reasonably expect
- food is labelled, advertised and presented in a way that is not false or misleading
Under the General Food Law Regulation, food businesses must:
- ensure food is safe and not harmful to health or unfit to eat
- ensure labelling, advertising and presentation of food do not mislead consumers
- be able to identify suppliers and business customers, known as traceability
- withdraw unsafe food from the market and inform the authorities of this
- keep appropriate records
If unsafe food has reached customers, businesses must tell them why the food is being withdrawn and, if needed, recall it to protect health. This usually happens when other steps, like withdrawal from sale, are not enough.
Food hygiene legislation affects all food businesses. Core EU food hygiene regulations cover:
- hygiene of foodstuffs
- general hygiene requirements for food premises
- businesses products of animal origin
- products of animal origin intended for human consumption
- verification of compliance with feed, food, animal health and animal welfare law
Animal feed regulations
Food businesses placing food materials into the animal feed chain play an important role in protecting animal health and food safety further along the supply chain. These businesses must:
- register as a feed business operator (before operating)
- only supply feed materials to other registered feed business operators
- follow written procedures based on Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point (HACCP) principles for feed production
Registration covers activities like manufacturing, storing, transporting or selling feed materials. Written procedures should be proportionate to the size and nature of the business, but must clearly show how feed safety risks are controlled and how problems would be identified and addressed. Learn more about feed safety laws.
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Food law enforcement agencies
How central government enforcement agencies work with local councils to enforce food laws and regulations.
Responsibility for enforcing food law in the UK is shared between central and local government agencies. The main central enforcement bodies are:
- the Food Standards Agency (FSA) in England, Wales and Northern Ireland
- Food Standards Scotland in Scotland
- the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) and its agencies
- devolved agriculture and rural affairs departments, including the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA) in Northern Ireland
Most food law is enforced by local councils. The FSA oversees local council enforcement to make sure food law is applied consistently across the food chain.
Food law enforcement in Northern Ireland
In Northern Ireland, local councils enforce food law for businesses like cafes, restaurants, takeaways, food manufacturers and food shops. They also enforce food law in certain businesses that produce products of animal origin, such as fisheries businesses.
DAERA Agri-food Inspection Branch enforces food law for:
- primary producers - (ie farmers and growers)
- milk and milk products for dairy producers
- egg production and egg packing establishments
DAERA's Veterinary Public Health Unit enforces meat inspection in approved meat establishments.
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Enforcement of food laws
The Framework Agreement outlines the remit of the Food Standards Agency to supervise and monitor local authority enforcement.
The Food Standards Agency (FSA) works with local council environmental health officers and the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA) to ensure food and animal feed law is applied consistently across the food chain. This relationship is set out in the Framework Agreement.
The Framework Agreement
The Framework Agreement allows the FSA to monitor and guide local council enforcement of food law. It provides for:
- local council service plans
- agreed enforcement standards
- enhanced data monitoring
- audit arrangements to identify possible improvements
Local councils must follow the Food Law Code of Practice. In Northern Ireland, DAERA is responsible for enforcing Feed Law Enforcement guidance and official controls.
Powers of local enforcement officers
Local enforcement officers have wide powers to protect public health. These powers can be used to prevent risks from escalating and deal with serious breaches.
Local enforcement officers can:
- inspect any stage of food production, manufacturing, distribution and retail
- enter premises and seize and detain foods
- take food samples for testing to ensure compliance
- take action against businesses that do not comply with food law
Local authorities also investigate food complaints and can issue:
- warnings
- improvement notices
- remedial action notices
- prohibition notices
Most enforcement action begins with advice or improvement notices. Prosecution is generally reserved for serious breaches, repeated non-compliance or where there is a significant risk to public health. The courts can impose heavy penalties for not complying with food laws, including closing the business if conditions are particularly bad.
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Food Law Code of Practice
How codes of practice regulate the way local councils apply food law in Northern Ireland.
The Food Law Code of Practice for Northern Ireland sets out how local councils must enforce food law and how they should work with food business operators. Local councils must follow all relevant provisions of the code when carrying out enforcement activity.
The code is regularly reviewed and updated to:
- reflect changes in legislation
- reduce unnecessary administrative burdens
- maintain standards of public health and consumer protection
Recent revisions of the code introduced a more risk-based approach, allowing councils to focus resources on food businesses that pose the greatest risk.
Food Law Practice Guidance
The Food Standards Agency (FSA) issues Food Law Practice Guidance to support enforcement officers. The guidance is not legally binding, but provides advice on:
- administrative matters
- enforcement tools such as prohibition and improvement notices
- inspection and monitoring activity
- establishments handling specific products, such as fresh meat or shellfish
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Food hygiene legislation
An outline of the food hygiene regulations that apply to all food businesses throughout the whole food chain.
All food businesses must follow food hygiene rules. How these rules apply depends on the size, nature and activities of the business.
Food premises registration
You must register any premises used for your food business with your local council. Some premises must also be approved, including those handling:
- meat and meat products
- eggs and egg products
- milk and dairy products
- fish and fish products
Register your food premises with your local council.
Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point (HACCP)
All food businesses, except primary producers, must have food safety procedures based on the HACCP principles.
HACCP focuses on identifying the ‘critical points’ where food safety risks (or hazards) occur and putting controls in place to prevent problems before they happen. These controls can vary depending on the size of the business and its activities, but you must be able to show how food safety is managed.
The Food Standards Agency (FSA) publishes guidance for caterers and retailers in Northern Ireland to help them implement food safety management procedures based on HACCP. Local council environmental health service can also provide advice.
Food hygiene training and supervision
Anyone who handles food must be supervised, instructed and/or trained in food hygiene to a level appropriate to their work. Training does not always require formal courses or qualifications. Food handlers can acquire the skills through on-the-job training, self-study or previous experience.
Microbiological criteria for foodstuffs
Microbiological criteria legislation sets legal limits for harmful bacteria (like Salmonella or Listeria) in specific foods. It applies to food businesses involved in producing and handling food, and can be used to verify food safety management procedures and assess the acceptability of food and processes in manufacturing, handling and distribution. Sampling and testing should be based on risk and reflect the nature of the business.
Northern Ireland food businesses must comply with Commission Regulation (EC) No 2073/2005, which sets legal limits for micro-organisms in food products. Under the Windsor Framework, EU food law remains fully applicable in Northern Ireland, meaning these standards apply even though they may differ from those in Great Britain.
A significant amendment will apply in Northern Ireland from 1 July 2026, under Commission Regulation (EU) 2024/2895, which will significantly tighten the food safety criteria for Listeria monocytogenes in ready-to-eat (RTE) foods throughout the shelf life of the product.
For detailed advice on your specific food category, you should contact your local council environmental health service.
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Whistleblowing in the food industry
How whistleblowers are protected from victimisation by their employer if they make a qualifying disclosure.
Whistleblowing allows workers to report wrongdoing in the public interest. The Public Interest Disclosure Act protects workers from unfair treatment or victimisation by their employer if they make a 'qualifying disclosure'.
Qualifying disclosures for whistleblowing
A disclosure is protected if it relates to:
- a criminal offence
- a breach of a legal obligation
- a miscarriage of justice
- a danger to the health and safety of any individual
- damage to the environment
- a deliberate attempt to cover up any one of the above
The worker must reasonably believe that this wrongdoing is happening now, happened before, or is likely to happen in the future. Read more on qualifying disclosures for whistleblowing.
Qualifying disclosures to the Food Standards Agency (FSA)
Disclosures to the FSA are protected where the worker:
- makes the report in good faith
- reasonably believes the food issue affects public health or consumer issues
- considers the information/allegation substantially true
The FSA will make every effort to protect the whistleblower’s identity and make sure they don't face any retaliation for raising a valid food safety concern.
Making a disclosure
If you work in the food industry and you want to make a disclosure about food safety, you can:
- call the Food Crime Confidential hotline on Tel 0800 028 11 80
- report a food crime online
- contact the FSA Food Fraud Liaison Officer on Tel 028 9041 7700
The FSA's policy on whistleblowing explains how you will be protected from detrimental treatment or victimisation by your employer under the Public Interest Disclosures Act.
Other ways to make a disclosure
The whistleblowing charity Protect provides free confidential advice to workers who have concerns about wrongdoing in the workplace.
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Food crime
Types of food crime including theft, adulteration and document fraud and how to report a food crime confidentially.
Food crime is serious fraud that affects the safety or the authenticity of food, drink or animal feed. It ranges from individual acts of dishonesty to organised illegal activity by criminal networks. It can harm consumers, legitimate food businesses and the wider food industry.
Types of food crimes
The main types of food crime include:
- theft - dishonestly obtaining food, drink or feed products to profit from their use or sale
- unlawful processing - slaughtering or preparing meat and related products in unapproved premises or using unauthorised techniques
- waste diversion - illegally diverting food, drink or feed meant for disposal, back into the supply chain
- adulteration - including a foreign substance which is not on the product's label to lower costs or fake a higher quality
- substitution - replacing a food or ingredient with another substance that is similar but inferior
- misrepresentation - marketing or labelling a product to wrongly portray its quality, safety, origin or freshness
- document fraud - making, using and possessing false documents with the intent to sell or market a fraudulent or substandard product
Preventing food crime
Preventing food crime protects your customers, reputation and profits. Criminals target food businesses to adulterate products, fake labels or sell unsafe imports, which can lead to recalls, fines or closures.
Take these steps to help prevent food crime:
- assess your supply risks
- check your suppliers' paperwork, traceability records and premises
- watch high-risk items like meat, fish and dairy
- train staff to spot issues such as adulteration, false labelling and tampering
- report suspicions to relevant agencies
These measures can also help you demonstrate due diligence if issues arise.
The Food Standard Agency's National Food Crime Unit (NFCU) works to prevent, detect and investigate food crime across the UK. They work with food businesses to make operations hostile to criminals, helping them to identify risks and put safeguards in place. You can use their free self-assessment tool to check your vulnerability and build resilience to food crime.
Reporting food crime
You can report food crime by calling NFCU's Food Crime Confidential on Tel 0800 028 11 80. Alternatively, you can report a food crime online.
In Northern Ireland, you can report to the FSA by emailing fsa.incidentsni@food.gov.uk or calling Tel 028 9041 7700 and asking to speak with the Food Fraud Liaison Officer.
Where there is no deliberate dishonesty or intention to deceive, you should report food safety concerns to the relevant local council instead.
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Start a food business in Northern Ireland
In this guide:
- Starting and running a food business
- Start a food business in Northern Ireland
- How to register your food business in Northern Ireland
- Comply with food safety regulations
- Food allergies, food intolerances and labelling
- Healthier menu choices for food businesses
- Inform customers of calories and allergens with MenuCal
- Starting a food business - Bodega Bagels
- Running a food business from home – Lily Pink Bakery
- Using strategic partnerships to innovate and grow - NearyNógs Stoneground Chocolate
Start a food business in Northern Ireland
What you need to know about starting a food business in Northern Ireland, including how to register and comply with food safety and allergen law.
Food businesses in Northern Ireland are required by law to register their establishments with the environmental health service of their local council. Food establishments include:
- food retail businesses
- catering outlets
- food manufacturing and packing businesses
- businesses importing or exporting food
- food distribution businesses
- domestic premises where food business activities are carried out
Registered premises are inspected to ensure they comply with the law. See how to register your food business.
Comply with the law when starting a food business
Whether you're starting a food business from scratch or taking over an existing business, you must comply with certain rules, including:
- ensuring premises are suitable for preparing food safely
- ensuring appropriate food safety procedures are in place
Read more on how to comply with food safety regulations and what you must do regarding food allergies, food intolerance and labelling.
Best practice when starting a food business
You should follow best practice guidelines to help you comply with the law. The Food Standards Agency (FSA) has advice and guidance on setting up a food business. Their guide on safe catering covers best practice and helps food businesses meet their legal requirement to have a Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point based procedure in place.
There is also FSA guidance on safer food, better business for caterers focusing on key areas such as food safety, storage, training and hygiene.
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How to register your food business in Northern Ireland
How to register your food business with your local council and find advice on starting a food business in Northern Ireland.
All food establishments in Northern Ireland, including home-based businesses, must be registered with their local council environmental health service.
Do I need to register my food business?
All types of food businesses that serve customers directly need to register, including:
- restaurants, cafes and takeaways
- catering businesses run from home, B&Bs, mobile catering and temporary businesses
- marquees, food stalls, food pop-ups and food vans
- nurseries, schools and care homes
- distance selling, mail order and food delivery including online
You will need to register your food business if you:
- sell food
- cook food
- store or handle food
- prepare food
- distribute food
Businesses involved in food distribution or food supply that operate from an office should also register as food businesses, even if they don't keep any food at the premises.
When do I need to register my food business?
You must register your food establishment at least 28 days before opening. If you have more than one food establishment then each one must be registered with the local council where it's located. If you are already trading and have not registered, you need to do so as soon as possible.
You should also tell the local council environmental health service if there is:
- a change of food business operator (notification should be made by the new food business operator)
- a change to the activities carried out in relation to food
- a closure of a food business establishment
Why do food premises have to be registered?
Registration enables local councils to a list of all food premises in their area. They can visit them when they need to and inspect the establishment to make sure they comply with food safety regulations.
How to register your food business establishment
Registering a food business is simple and free of charge. You only have to register each food establishment once.
GOV.UK has a food business registration tool where you simply submit the postcode location of your food business establishment. The tool then returns details of how to apply to your local council with a link to the application form, whether it be an online or downloadable form.
Your local council environmental health service will be able to help you with any questions you have about registering your food business. Find your local council in Northern Ireland.
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Comply with food safety regulations
Find guidance, information and best practice on complying with food safety regulations.
Food safety laws protect consumers from unsafe food. To comply with food hygiene and standards, you must implement food safety management procedures and consider the suppliers you use, the traceability of your food, and how you transport it.
Food safety management procedures
All catering and retail food business operators must have in place food safety management procedures based on the Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) principles.
HACCP is an internationally recognised system of food safety management that helps you:
- identify potential food safety problems - or 'hazards' - in your business
- introduce procedures to remove the hazards, or reduce them to an acceptable level
These procedures can help you produce and sell food that is safe to eat, providing that you keep up-to-date documentation and records relating to your procedures, and review procedures regularly to ensure they reflect what you produce or how you work.
FSA guidance on food safety management
To help you put food safety management procedures in place, the Food Standards Agency (FSA) provides food safety management guides for small businesses, including:
- safe catering - for caterers and retailers in Northern Ireland
- safer food, better business - for restaurants, cafés, takeaways and other small catering businesses
These guides will not only help you comply with food hygiene regulations, but will also help you understand how to:
- make food safely
- train staff
- keep records to show that your food safety procedures are effective
- protect your business' reputation
- improve your business' efficiency - eg by wasting less food
There are other FSA guides that can help you comply with food hygiene legislation and give advice on good practice. For example:
- E.coli cross-contamination guidance - it focuses on E. coli but the steps taken to avoid cross-contamination will also help control other harmful bacteria
- Food safety for food delivery guidance - it provides hygiene and allergy advice specifically for takeaways and food delivery businesses
- Food handlers fitness to work guidance - it gives advice on preventing the spread of infection by clarifying what illnesses and symptoms staff should report and what managers should do in response
Your local council environmental health service can also advise you on the relevant food safety management procedures. Find your local council in Northern Ireland.
Food hygiene
Anyone who handles food follow practices that minimise the risk of harm to the consumer. Part of complying with food safety is managing:
- food hygiene, including requirements on cleaning, cooking, chilling food and cross-contamination
- food standards, ie legal standards for labelling and composition of food products
You must also meet the legal requirements for food packaging and labelling.
Food allergens and additives
To keep your customers safe, you must provide accurate allergen information and manage allergens properly in the food preparation area. Find out more about food allergies, food intolerances and labelling.
Additional rules apply if you use food additives.
Traceability and withdrawal of food
Traceability rules help keep track of food in the supply chain and require you to keep records of:
- all the suppliers that provide you with any food or ingredients
- all the businesses that you supply with food products or ingredients
The records will help enforcement officers if there is a problem with food safety that would require your food to be withdrawn or recalled. Records should include:
- the name and address of supplier (or the business you are supplying)
- the nature and quantity of products
- the date of the transaction or delivery
You can also record batch number, invoices or receipts of food products purchased.
You must keep these records up-to-date and available for inspections at all times. They will be checked if there is a safety problem with food you have sold.
You need to withdraw from sale food which is unsafe. You must let the environmental health department of your local council and the FSA know if you have supplied unsafe food to customers. Read guidance on food incidents, product withdrawals and recalls.
Food safety inspections and enforcement
In Northern Ireland, local councils are responsible for enforcing food hygiene laws. Authorised officers have the right to:
- enter and inspect your premises at any reasonable time without making an appointment
- take enforcement action to protect the public, such as seizing foods suspected to be unfit for human consumption
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Food allergies, food intolerances and labelling
Why food operators need to be aware of food allergies and intolerances, and how to put in place best practice.
Some people have an allergy or intolerance to certain types of food. They need enough information about what they eat to help them avoid these foods.
Food businesses in the retail and catering sector are required by law to provide allergen information to consumers and follow the relevant labelling rules. They must:
- provide allergen information for prepacked and non-prepacked food and drink products
- handle and manage food allergens effectively in food preparation
- make sure that staff receive training on allergens
List of allergens in food - 14 major food allergens
Any type of food can cause a reaction, but some are more likely to than others. There are 14 major allergens which food businesses must declare by law when used as ingredients:
- celery
- cereals containing gluten - including wheat (such as spelt and Khorasan), rye, barley and oats
- crustaceans - such as prawns, crabs and lobsters
- eggs
- fish
- lupin
- milk
- molluscs - such as mussels and oysters
- mustard (except behenic acid with a minimum of 85 % of purity and obtained after two distillation steps used in the manufacturing of the emulsifiers E 470a, E 471 and E 477)
- tree nuts - including almonds, hazelnuts, walnuts, brazil nuts, cashews, pecans, pistachios and macadamia nuts
- peanuts
- sesame seeds
- soybeans
- sulphur dioxide and sulphites (in concentration of more than ten parts per million)
Even a very small amount of certain foods can sometimes cause a severe reaction called anaphylaxis. This can make people very ill and in some cases can be fatal, so it's crucial and also a legal requirement that you're able to inform your customers what's in a particular dish.
Allergen information for different types of food
Different allergen labelling rules apply depending on how the food is provided to the customer. For example:
Prepacked food
Prepacked food must have an ingredients list present on the packaging and allergens present in the product must be emphasised each time they appear in the ingredients list.
Non-prepacked (loose) foods
Loose foods must have allergen information for every item that contains any of the 14 allergens.
Prepacked for direct sale (PPDS) food
From 1 October 2021, the requirements for PPDS food labelling changed. Any business that produces PPDS food is required to label it with the name of the food and a full ingredients list, with allergenic ingredients emphasised within the list.
Find out more about food allergen labelling.
Tell customers about food allergens and calories
The Food Standards Agency (FSA) has developed a range of resources to help food businesses comply with legal requirements to manage and record allergen information.
These resources include:
- The MenuCal tool - can help you to identify, manage and communicate allergen information for food and drink on your menu. You can also use it to calculate the amount of energy in food and drink on the menu.
- Managing food allergen guidance for food businesses - it offers advice for food businesses on providing allergen information and best practice for handling allergens.
- In-depth technical food allergen labelling and information guidance - it outlines the food allergen labelling and information requirements under the EU Food Information for Consumers regulations.
- Allergy training for food businesses - free online training and materials for food business operators and those involved in selling or producing food.
- Allergen checklist for food businesses - it includes advice on providing allergen information and avoiding cross-contamination in the kitchen.
Further guidance is available on allergen labelling changes for prepacked for direct sale (PPDS) food. You can also use the Food Standards Agency's allergen and ingredients food labelling tool to check if your business sells PPDS food.
Labelling of 'free-from' foods
Making 'free-from' claims in relation to food allergens requires strict controls of ingredients, how they are handled and how they are prepared. A 'free-from' claim is a guarantee that the food is suitable for all with an allergy or intolerance.
For example, if you are handling wheat flour in a kitchen and you cannot remove the risk of cross-contamination, you should let the customer know and you should not make any gluten-free or wheat-free claims.
The Food and Drink Federation provides specific information and guidance on:
See more on labelling food products.
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Healthier menu choices for food businesses
Guidance to help different types of food businesses provide cost-effective, healthier food choices for customers.
It makes good business sense to give your customers healthier food choices. By serving healthier options you could help improve the health of your customers while also reducing your operating costs. For example, you could reduce the amount of meat in a pasta dish by substituting it with finely diced vegetables.
Making menus healthier
The Food Standards Agency (FSA) in Northern Ireland has a range of online resources to help you make your menu healthier.
Their Calorie Wise scheme supports you to display energy information – in both kilojoules (kJ) and kilocalories (kcal) – on your menu and provide healthier options, enabling consumers to make healthier, more informed choices when eating out.
To put energy information on your menu will need to accurately calculate the energy content of your recipes. You can do this using the FSA's free online MenuCal tool. The tool can also help you identify, manage and communicate required allergen information.
By standardising recipes and planning your menu, you can make small changes to make the food you serve healthier and more profitable.
Healthier catering tips for food businesses
A range of healthier catering guides is available from the FSA. These guides provide simple, practical changes that businesses can make when procuring, preparing, cooking, serving and promoting food. There are seven different business-specific guides:
- Healthier catering tips for food businesses
- Healthier catering tips for Chinese restaurants and takeaways
- Healthier catering tips for chip shops
- Healthier catering tips for Indian and South Asian restaurants and takeaways
- Healthy catering tips for Italian restaurants and takeaways
- Healthier catering tips for pizza restaurants and takeaways
- Healthier catering tips for sandwich shops
These guides describe simple, practical changes businesses can make when procuring, preparing, cooking, serving and promoting food.
Making Food Better programme
The FSA's Making Food Better programme, previously known as the Eating Well Choosing Better programme, supports Northern Ireland food businesses to make the food environment healthier through:
- reducing calories, saturated fat, sugar, and salt in the food they produce, sell or serve
- reducing portion size
- providing nutritional information
- delivering responsible promotions
The acronym below outlines the meaning of "Better" and what the FSA aims to achieve under the Making Food Better programme:
- Balanced – providing nutritionally balanced options.
- Environment – promoting a healthier and more sustainable food environment.
- Transparent – providing consumers with more information about the food they eat.
- Trusted – high quality food, that is what it says it is.
- Education – educating consumers about a healthy balanced diet and providing data and insights about food product improvement.
- Reformulation – food product improvement to make food that is healthier.
The FSA works with a range of stakeholders across Northern Ireland including local councils and academic institutions to support the food industry in making food better.
The FSA website lists a range of resources, funding and support available to food businesses in Northern Ireland to help them produce healthier food.
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Inform customers of calories and allergens with MenuCal
Free online tool to help food businesses identify and inform customers of allergens and calories for menu items.
The Food Standards Agency (FSA) provides a free online tool to help businesses identify, manage and communicate allergen information and display calories on menus.
The MenuCal tool allows food businesses to identify if there are allergens present in any of the food they serve and make this information known to their customers. MenuCal can also be used to calculate energy in the food that businesses serve. The tool enables food businesses to add ingredients for recipes and print off menus with allergen and energy information clearly displayed.
MenuCal aims to save food businesses time and money by helping you comply with legal requirements to manage and display allergen information. It could also increase your profitability by appealing to health-conscious customers by helping you to:
- make smarter choices about the food you serve
- tailor portion sizes to reduce the amount of energy value
- change ingredients to give a healthier option
Through the FSA's Calorie Wise scheme, support and advice is available to food businesses to help them put energy information on the menu.
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Starting and running a food business
Starting a food business - Bodega Bagels
Steven Orr, co-founder of Bodega Bagels, explains how they started their business.
Bodega Bagels is a bakery producing New York-style bagels and cream cheese spreads. The business began in the garage of founders Steven Orr and Kirsty Winter. Less than five months after opening, Bodega Bagels expanded to employ eight additional staff. At first, the business sold its products through an online order and pick-up service and now has a weekend pop-up at the Banana Block, a museum and events space, in east Belfast.
Steven tells us about the process of starting a food business, including registering, following food hygiene rules and where to find advice.
Getting started
"We decided to start Bodega Bagels during the lockdown. We realised how much better our homemade bagels were compared to supermarket versions and saw a gap in the market in Northern Ireland."
"We considered how to sell our bagels – we opted to sell in advance via our website for customers to collect at the weekend."
"East Belfast Enterprise helped us by recommending we access start-up support from our local council, and after their grounding in the area, we moved to the Kick Start programme that offered mentoring support. This assistance gave us the confidence to develop a business plan, which led to a grant to buy an industrial oven."
Registering our food business
"Registering our business wasn’t as complicated as we thought. I learned about the process by searching online. Baking bagels is relatively low-risk, with no hot food, no raw meat and very few allergens, making the process much easier. Talking to the Environmental Health Officers (EHO) from Belfast City Council showed me that it wasn't as scary as it seems – most of it is common sense."
"If you run a registered food business, you must have a plan based on the Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) principles. This plan considers and manages potential risks to food safety. I found helpful templates online and was able to create a system that was manageable but also detailed enough to cover all the legal requirements."
Food safety and hygiene
"For Bodega Bagels, food hygiene is mainly about having a clean cooking facility and environment. We use wipeable surfaces, hand cleaning facilities and protective clothing to reduce any chance of contamination. As we've grown to produce spreads and cold bagel fillings, we record our deliveries and storage and temperature-check our fridges."
"Understanding allergens and ensuring our customers are aware of these is a priority. We publish allergen information on our website and display it on site. All new staff are trained on the dangers of cross-contamination and are aware of any risk items we sell – they also know how to mitigate those risks."
"Online courses are a good source of guidance – the short Level 2 Food Hygiene certification covers most of what you need to know."
"The council Environmental Health Officers are the single best source of information. Our EHO is only a phone call or an email away, and is always on hand to offer advice and guidance. The Food Standards Agency are also really helpful and always open to giving advice. They want you to succeed - they don't want to trip you up."
Growing our business
"Bodega Bagels has gone from being based in our garage to having a weekend pitch at Banana Block and ten staff. Our growth has been rapid and we don't plan on slowing down. In time, we hope to do more than just weekends and expand into catering and wholesale."
"The best compliment we hear is an American customer telling us our bagels are on par with bagels in NYC and the best they've ever had outside of New York."
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Starting and running a food business
Running a food business from home – Lily Pink Bakery
Claire Magowan, founder of Lily Pink Bakery, discusses the challenges, rewards, and practicalities of running her food business from home.
Lily Pink Bakery is a home-based bakery in Belfast, specialising in creative buttercream cakes, cupcakes, and brownies. The business holds a 5-star Food Hygiene Rating and trades mainly online through direct deliveries, customer collections and postal orders.
Claire Magowan, founder of Lily Pink Bakery, discusses the challenges, rewards, and practicalities of running her food business from home.
Getting started
"I had always loved baking, having made cupcakes and cakes for fun for years. In 2012, I joined a Belfast City Council programme on turning your hobby into a business and went straight into self-employment. I never looked back!"
"Working out of my home was the only option when I started. I had no funding and didn't wish to begin my business in lots of debt."
"In the early days, I concentrated mainly on market trading with a permanent stall at St George's Market. This route allowed me to have a space where I could trade and meet my customers without the commitment of premises and the associated bills."
"Although I loved trading at the market, by 2018, wedding cakes were becoming my main focus, and then COVID-19 happened. Almost all my bookings were cancelled or rescheduled across 2020 and 2021."
Adapting the business model
"Working within the restrictions, I set up my e-commerce site on Shopify and began selling weekly cupcake boxes that I would bake at home and deliver across Belfast one day a week. This approach was a roaring success - it allowed my business to survive and thrive. I learned many new skills, including route planning for deliveries and operating an online store."
"From this, I also developed my postal boxes - these were a massive undertaking, researching packaging that would survive the postal system, what items had the best shelf life and the legalities of distance selling."
"Most of my sales now come directly from my website. I deliver wedding cakes across Northern Ireland, and for all other orders, my customers usually collect from my home."
Pros and cons of running a food business from home
"The cost is the biggest benefit. I don't have to worry about high rents and rates fees. At times, I have considered renting kitchen spaces or retail space in Belfast, but this is very expensive and truly limits the food culture of this city which has so much potential. The other benefit, of course, is avoiding a daily commute!"
"In terms of the challenges, maintaining a healthy work/life balance can be very difficult at times. If possible, designate a separate space within your home for work to help you avoid bad habits I have developed, like doing your admin in bed!"
"You must also ensure that your business doesn't disrupt the community around you. For example, with noise or customers parking when collecting their orders."
Food safety and hygiene
"Like any food business, I must register with the council. This process involves a home inspection and following the same procedures as any restaurant or cafe. You also must complete a food hygiene course."
"To manage daily food hygiene, I keep a log of clean-down times for my kitchen, including the equipment cleaned, the cleaning product used, and the time completed. Belfast City Council provides a binder with easy-to-follow guidelines for all required records and procedures."
"My home business is considered low-risk, so I don't find major food safety and hygiene challenges. Working with meat, or in allergen-friendly manufacturing, the rules are likely to be stricter."
"I state my allergens clearly on my website in several places, including my menu and FAQ page. On the Shopify store, I list the allergens in the description on each product page. For anything posted or pre-packaged, I have all ingredients listed and, where necessary, broken down into component ingredients."
"I tell my customers that I work in an open kitchen environment and can't guarantee items are allergen-free. I am very strict in protecting customers and my safety."
"I'm delighted to have a 5-star Food Hygiene Rating from the council. This rating shows my customers that I respect their safety and well-being by maintaining a clean, organised manufacturing environment."
"I achieved my rating by working with Belfast City Council and following all the advice they give when registering, including the food and allergen safety guidance they have on their website. In my experience, the council staff are helpful and will answer any questions to help you achieve the food hygiene levels required for your business."
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Starting and running a food business
Using strategic partnerships to innovate and grow - NearyNógs Stoneground Chocolate
Shane Neary, co-founder of NearyNógs Stoneground Chocolate, explains how they use strategic partnerships to innovate and grow their family business.
NearyNógs Stoneground Chocolate is Ireland's first bean-to-bar chocolate maker, based in County Down. Founded in 2011 by Shane and Dorothy Neary, the company ethically sources high-quality cocoa beans and produces over 60 craft chocolate products. It supplies wholesale, retail, online, and export markets, while also offering workshops, factory tours, and events that immerse customers in the craft of chocolate making.
In this case study, Shane describes how collaborations with retailers, distilleries, and other artisan producers have driven their success, leading to an expanded product range, unique customer experiences, and new business opportunities.
From a hobby to a craft chocolate business
"It started with a fundraiser. A family member was going to India for charity work, so we made chocolate to raise money. People loved it, and soon we were supplying craft markets, weddings, and events. Then life changed. Our youngest child became ill, and we needed flexibility. Regular jobs no longer suited us, so we became self-employed and turned our hobby into a business."
"From the start, customers asked for dairy-free and gluten-free options, so we decided to produce our chocolate entirely in-house. That's how our craft chocolate business was born."
Creating strategic alliances
"Partnerships have helped us grow in ways we couldn't alone. We work with small retailers, major brands, ethical farming communities, and suppliers worldwide. But being a rural business, we don't have the footfall of a city-based chocolatier. Collaborating locally helps us to bridge that gap and reach new customers through events and co-branded products."
"We've teamed up with nearby distilleries to create chocolate-spirit pairings, and we've run tasting experiences with local artisan producers. These partnerships increase sales, attract visitors, and introduce our products to new markets. They also allow us to experiment with new ingredients, techniques and product ideas, helping us stay ahead in a competitive industry."
"We've also worked with organisations like Tourism Ireland, Tourism Northern Ireland, Invest Northern Ireland, and local council groups to expand our reach and build our brand."
What we look for in a potential partner
"When choosing partners, we look for honesty, integrity, and shared values around ethical sourcing, sustainability, and craftsmanship. Transparency in the supply chain and fair pricing are essential. And a partnership must feel right - it helps to like the people you're working with."
"Locally, we focus on tourism and craft experiences, as well as food and drink producers whose products complement ours. A great example is our work with a local distillery to create a chocolate infused with high-quality craft spirits. Tourists loved it; it was something they couldn't find anywhere else. This partnership boosted sales and introduced us to a new audience."
"Working with larger retailers is a different challenge. Orders are bigger, but prices are lower, negotiations tougher, and terms stricter. Project management is more demanding too. Smaller collaborations give us flexibility and shared exposure, so we balance both to stay profitable and visible."
Managing partnerships: challenges and solutions
"Forming partnerships isn't always straightforward - pricing must be fair for both sides, and aligning schedules between busy businesses takes effort. However, with experience, we've developed a more streamlined approach. We refined our pricing models and learned to adjust availability to make partnerships smoother and more efficient over time."
"Balancing brand visibility also needs careful handling. When we create a product with a partner, both brands must receive recognition. In our chocolate infused with local spirits, for instance, our branding takes the lead, but we clearly acknowledge our collaborator. When a promotional event takes place at either partner's venue, one brand will naturally be more visible, but both businesses equally benefit from shared exposure and ticket revenue."
"Detailed planning is essential for collaborative product development. For new product launches, our core crafting process remains consistent, but partnerships require joint taste testing, collaborative packaging design, and reaching consensus on recipes, flavours, and pricing. This added development time is crucial for creating products that represent both brands and stand out in a competitive market."
How collaboration fuels our growth
"Partnerships influence every part of our business, especially product development. By using local ingredients and produce in our chocolate, we've created new flavours, recipes, and product lines that attract both locals and tourists."
"Co-branded events attract more customers and allow us to set higher ticket prices. Joint marketing expands our audience, and working with other brands strengthens our reputation. It shows we support local businesses, create unique experiences, and add value to our region's economy. It also makes us a more attractive partner for future collaborations."
"We measure the success of our collaborations by tracking customer feedback, analysing lessons learned, and cultivating new business contacts. Every partnership should help us grow - whether in assets, experience, networks, or market reach."
Future outlook on collaboration
"Collaboration will always be part of what we do at NearyNógs. It builds community, creates new experiences, and strengthens our business. Whether through product development, tourism, or customer engagement, partnerships will remain central to our growth."
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Food hygiene rating: appeals, replies and re-inspections
Food hygiene rating: what the ratings mean
Understand food hygiene ratings for your business, what the ratings cover, how they're given, and how often your business might be inspected.
Your local council will give your food business a food hygiene rating after a food safety inspection. The inspection checks if your business is meeting food hygiene law so that the food you sell is safe to eat.
The rating reflects the hygiene standards found in your business at the time of inspection.
What is a food business assessed on?
During the inspection, the food safety officer will check:
- how your business handles food and what food safety controls are in place - including how you prepare, cook, re-heat, cool and store food
- the physical condition of the business - the cleanliness, layout, lighting, ventilation, pest control and other facilities
- how your business manages safety of food - including processes, staff training and systems to ensure you maintain good hygiene in the future
These checks ensure that you meet food hygiene standards and that the food you serve or sell is safe to eat. Find out more about what to expect from a food safety inspection.
Exemptions
Some food businesses are exempt from the Food Hygiene Rating Scheme, including:
- businesses that are low-risk to public health, for example, newsagents, chemist shops or visitor centres selling pre-packaged food that does not require refrigeration
- childminders and businesses that offer caring services in a private home
What food hygiene rating can I achieve?
After the inspection, the food safety officer will give your business one of the following ratings:
- 5 - hygiene standards are very good
- 4 - hygiene standards are good
- 3 - hygiene standards are generally satisfactory
- 2 - some improvement is necessary
- 1 - major improvement is necessary
- 0 - urgent improvement is required
To get the top rating of 5, your business must comply with food hygiene law. Once you are issued with a rating sticker, you are legally required to display it at or near each customer entrance to the business. This is often the front door or window. Your customers will also be able to check your food hygiene ratings online.
How often are food businesses inspected?
Your local council will give your business a new food hygiene rating each time it carries a food hygiene inspection of your premises. Businesses that handle higher risk food, or that have a history of poor compliance, are inspected more often.
If you are unhappy with your rating, you can appeal your rating or request a re-rating inspection from your local council.
How to achieve a high food hygiene rating
All businesses should be able to achieve the top food hygiene rating of 5 by consistently meeting food hygiene law. Your local council food safety officer can advise on what you need to do to comply with food hygiene requirements and improve your rating where necessary.
The Food Standards Agency has a range of tools, such as the Safe Catering guide and Safer food, better business pack that can help businesses manage food hygiene. It also provides general guidance on food hygiene and food law inspection.
Find out more about hygiene for food businesses.
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Displaying and promoting your food hygiene rating
All food businesses in Northern Ireland must follow the rules on displaying their food hygiene rating.
Food businesses in Northern Ireland, including takeaways and restaurants, must display an up-to-date food hygiene rating. The rating must be displayed at or near each entrance to the food business. It can also be included in promotional materials, such as websites, flyers, social media posts and printed menus.
Displaying your food hygiene rating stickers
Under the mandatory Food Hygiene Rating Scheme, Northern Ireland food businesses must display their food hygiene sticker:
- at or near each customer entrance like the front door, entrance or window
- where they can be clearly seen and easily read by customers before they enter
Staff must also be able to tell customers the food business's food hygiene rating, if asked.
A business must only use images of its current food hygiene rating. If your rating changes following a later inspection, you must remove images of previous ratings from your premises or promotional materials, and only use images of the new rating.
Local councils may issue an 'awaiting inspection' sticker to new food businesses, or to businesses under new ownership, once they have registered. You should display this sticker until the council inspects your business and gives you a food hygiene rating.
Online food hygiene ratings
The Food Standards Agency (FSA) will publish your rating on its food hygiene ratings website. There may be temporary differences between the rating displayed at your premises and rating shown online. This can happen if:
- the local council is uploading a new rating to the website
- your business is appealing the ranking and awaiting the result
If you cannot find your business' rating online, you should contact the local authority responsible for inspecting your premises.
Promote your food hygiene rating
You can promote your food hygiene rating by displaying it on your menus, website or social media channels. Promoting your rating can benefit your business by showing your customers that you take food hygiene seriously and that the food you serve is safe.
Find out how to make the most of your business rating.
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Food hygiene rating: appeals, replies and re-inspections
How to reply to and appeal your food hygiene rating, and request a re-visit inspection from a food safety officer.
After a hygiene inspection of your premises, a food safety officer will tell you in writing what your food hygiene rating is, and issue a food hygiene rating sticker. If you believe that the rating does not reflect the hygiene standards at your premises at the time of inspection, there are steps you can take.
Appeal a food hygiene rating
If you disagree with your food rating, it is a good idea to first speak informally to the food safety officer who inspected your premises. Their contact details will be included in your rating notification letter. The officer should help you understand how your rating was worked out and advise if an appeal is appropriate.
If you still believe that the rating is wrong or unfair, you can appeal it in writing to your local council. You must submit the appeal within 21 days of receiving the rating notification. Details on how to appeal are included in the 'notification of rating' letter.
The appeal will be considered by an authorised officer who was not involved in the original inspection. You will be notified of the outcome within 21 days of the council receiving your appeal. In some circumstances, a food safety officer may visit your premises again.
Once the appeal process is complete, the council will publish your rating online. If you disagree with the outcome, you can use the council’s complaints procedure or challenge the decision by judicial review.
Right to reply to your food hygiene rating
The right to reply allows you to explain to your customers any actions you have taken to improve hygiene standards since your inspection. You can also explain any unusual circumstances that may have affected the rating.
To use this right, you should send your comments in writing to the food safety officer who carried out the inspection. Your comments will be published online alongside your hygiene rating. The council may edit your comments if they include any offensive, defamatory, inaccurate or irrelevant remarks.
Request a re-visit inspection
You will receive a new food hygiene rating each time your premises are inspected as part of routine local council inspections.
If you have made improvements to hygiene standards raised in your last inspection report, you can ask for a re-visit to get a new rating before your next planned inspection. You will have to:
- submit the request in writing to the local council
- explain what actions you have taken since the last inspection
- provide supporting evidence, such as receipts or photographs to show that work has been completed
There is a charge for a requested re-rating visit. The local council will provide details of the costs and how to pay.
Find out more about the Food Hygiene Rating Scheme safeguards, including appeals, the right to reply and asking for a re-visit.
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Displaying and promoting your food hygiene rating
Food hygiene rating: what the ratings mean
Understand food hygiene ratings for your business, what the ratings cover, how they're given, and how often your business might be inspected.
Your local council will give your food business a food hygiene rating after a food safety inspection. The inspection checks if your business is meeting food hygiene law so that the food you sell is safe to eat.
The rating reflects the hygiene standards found in your business at the time of inspection.
What is a food business assessed on?
During the inspection, the food safety officer will check:
- how your business handles food and what food safety controls are in place - including how you prepare, cook, re-heat, cool and store food
- the physical condition of the business - the cleanliness, layout, lighting, ventilation, pest control and other facilities
- how your business manages safety of food - including processes, staff training and systems to ensure you maintain good hygiene in the future
These checks ensure that you meet food hygiene standards and that the food you serve or sell is safe to eat. Find out more about what to expect from a food safety inspection.
Exemptions
Some food businesses are exempt from the Food Hygiene Rating Scheme, including:
- businesses that are low-risk to public health, for example, newsagents, chemist shops or visitor centres selling pre-packaged food that does not require refrigeration
- childminders and businesses that offer caring services in a private home
What food hygiene rating can I achieve?
After the inspection, the food safety officer will give your business one of the following ratings:
- 5 - hygiene standards are very good
- 4 - hygiene standards are good
- 3 - hygiene standards are generally satisfactory
- 2 - some improvement is necessary
- 1 - major improvement is necessary
- 0 - urgent improvement is required
To get the top rating of 5, your business must comply with food hygiene law. Once you are issued with a rating sticker, you are legally required to display it at or near each customer entrance to the business. This is often the front door or window. Your customers will also be able to check your food hygiene ratings online.
How often are food businesses inspected?
Your local council will give your business a new food hygiene rating each time it carries a food hygiene inspection of your premises. Businesses that handle higher risk food, or that have a history of poor compliance, are inspected more often.
If you are unhappy with your rating, you can appeal your rating or request a re-rating inspection from your local council.
How to achieve a high food hygiene rating
All businesses should be able to achieve the top food hygiene rating of 5 by consistently meeting food hygiene law. Your local council food safety officer can advise on what you need to do to comply with food hygiene requirements and improve your rating where necessary.
The Food Standards Agency has a range of tools, such as the Safe Catering guide and Safer food, better business pack that can help businesses manage food hygiene. It also provides general guidance on food hygiene and food law inspection.
Find out more about hygiene for food businesses.
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/content/food-hygiene-rating-what-ratings-mean
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Displaying and promoting your food hygiene rating
All food businesses in Northern Ireland must follow the rules on displaying their food hygiene rating.
Food businesses in Northern Ireland, including takeaways and restaurants, must display an up-to-date food hygiene rating. The rating must be displayed at or near each entrance to the food business. It can also be included in promotional materials, such as websites, flyers, social media posts and printed menus.
Displaying your food hygiene rating stickers
Under the mandatory Food Hygiene Rating Scheme, Northern Ireland food businesses must display their food hygiene sticker:
- at or near each customer entrance like the front door, entrance or window
- where they can be clearly seen and easily read by customers before they enter
Staff must also be able to tell customers the food business's food hygiene rating, if asked.
A business must only use images of its current food hygiene rating. If your rating changes following a later inspection, you must remove images of previous ratings from your premises or promotional materials, and only use images of the new rating.
Local councils may issue an 'awaiting inspection' sticker to new food businesses, or to businesses under new ownership, once they have registered. You should display this sticker until the council inspects your business and gives you a food hygiene rating.
Online food hygiene ratings
The Food Standards Agency (FSA) will publish your rating on its food hygiene ratings website. There may be temporary differences between the rating displayed at your premises and rating shown online. This can happen if:
- the local council is uploading a new rating to the website
- your business is appealing the ranking and awaiting the result
If you cannot find your business' rating online, you should contact the local authority responsible for inspecting your premises.
Promote your food hygiene rating
You can promote your food hygiene rating by displaying it on your menus, website or social media channels. Promoting your rating can benefit your business by showing your customers that you take food hygiene seriously and that the food you serve is safe.
Find out how to make the most of your business rating.
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Food hygiene rating: appeals, replies and re-inspections
How to reply to and appeal your food hygiene rating, and request a re-visit inspection from a food safety officer.
After a hygiene inspection of your premises, a food safety officer will tell you in writing what your food hygiene rating is, and issue a food hygiene rating sticker. If you believe that the rating does not reflect the hygiene standards at your premises at the time of inspection, there are steps you can take.
Appeal a food hygiene rating
If you disagree with your food rating, it is a good idea to first speak informally to the food safety officer who inspected your premises. Their contact details will be included in your rating notification letter. The officer should help you understand how your rating was worked out and advise if an appeal is appropriate.
If you still believe that the rating is wrong or unfair, you can appeal it in writing to your local council. You must submit the appeal within 21 days of receiving the rating notification. Details on how to appeal are included in the 'notification of rating' letter.
The appeal will be considered by an authorised officer who was not involved in the original inspection. You will be notified of the outcome within 21 days of the council receiving your appeal. In some circumstances, a food safety officer may visit your premises again.
Once the appeal process is complete, the council will publish your rating online. If you disagree with the outcome, you can use the council’s complaints procedure or challenge the decision by judicial review.
Right to reply to your food hygiene rating
The right to reply allows you to explain to your customers any actions you have taken to improve hygiene standards since your inspection. You can also explain any unusual circumstances that may have affected the rating.
To use this right, you should send your comments in writing to the food safety officer who carried out the inspection. Your comments will be published online alongside your hygiene rating. The council may edit your comments if they include any offensive, defamatory, inaccurate or irrelevant remarks.
Request a re-visit inspection
You will receive a new food hygiene rating each time your premises are inspected as part of routine local council inspections.
If you have made improvements to hygiene standards raised in your last inspection report, you can ask for a re-visit to get a new rating before your next planned inspection. You will have to:
- submit the request in writing to the local council
- explain what actions you have taken since the last inspection
- provide supporting evidence, such as receipts or photographs to show that work has been completed
There is a charge for a requested re-rating visit. The local council will provide details of the costs and how to pay.
Find out more about the Food Hygiene Rating Scheme safeguards, including appeals, the right to reply and asking for a re-visit.
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Food hygiene rating: what the ratings mean
Food hygiene rating: what the ratings mean
Understand food hygiene ratings for your business, what the ratings cover, how they're given, and how often your business might be inspected.
Your local council will give your food business a food hygiene rating after a food safety inspection. The inspection checks if your business is meeting food hygiene law so that the food you sell is safe to eat.
The rating reflects the hygiene standards found in your business at the time of inspection.
What is a food business assessed on?
During the inspection, the food safety officer will check:
- how your business handles food and what food safety controls are in place - including how you prepare, cook, re-heat, cool and store food
- the physical condition of the business - the cleanliness, layout, lighting, ventilation, pest control and other facilities
- how your business manages safety of food - including processes, staff training and systems to ensure you maintain good hygiene in the future
These checks ensure that you meet food hygiene standards and that the food you serve or sell is safe to eat. Find out more about what to expect from a food safety inspection.
Exemptions
Some food businesses are exempt from the Food Hygiene Rating Scheme, including:
- businesses that are low-risk to public health, for example, newsagents, chemist shops or visitor centres selling pre-packaged food that does not require refrigeration
- childminders and businesses that offer caring services in a private home
What food hygiene rating can I achieve?
After the inspection, the food safety officer will give your business one of the following ratings:
- 5 - hygiene standards are very good
- 4 - hygiene standards are good
- 3 - hygiene standards are generally satisfactory
- 2 - some improvement is necessary
- 1 - major improvement is necessary
- 0 - urgent improvement is required
To get the top rating of 5, your business must comply with food hygiene law. Once you are issued with a rating sticker, you are legally required to display it at or near each customer entrance to the business. This is often the front door or window. Your customers will also be able to check your food hygiene ratings online.
How often are food businesses inspected?
Your local council will give your business a new food hygiene rating each time it carries a food hygiene inspection of your premises. Businesses that handle higher risk food, or that have a history of poor compliance, are inspected more often.
If you are unhappy with your rating, you can appeal your rating or request a re-rating inspection from your local council.
How to achieve a high food hygiene rating
All businesses should be able to achieve the top food hygiene rating of 5 by consistently meeting food hygiene law. Your local council food safety officer can advise on what you need to do to comply with food hygiene requirements and improve your rating where necessary.
The Food Standards Agency has a range of tools, such as the Safe Catering guide and Safer food, better business pack that can help businesses manage food hygiene. It also provides general guidance on food hygiene and food law inspection.
Find out more about hygiene for food businesses.
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Source URL
/content/food-hygiene-rating-what-ratings-mean
Links
Displaying and promoting your food hygiene rating
All food businesses in Northern Ireland must follow the rules on displaying their food hygiene rating.
Food businesses in Northern Ireland, including takeaways and restaurants, must display an up-to-date food hygiene rating. The rating must be displayed at or near each entrance to the food business. It can also be included in promotional materials, such as websites, flyers, social media posts and printed menus.
Displaying your food hygiene rating stickers
Under the mandatory Food Hygiene Rating Scheme, Northern Ireland food businesses must display their food hygiene sticker:
- at or near each customer entrance like the front door, entrance or window
- where they can be clearly seen and easily read by customers before they enter
Staff must also be able to tell customers the food business's food hygiene rating, if asked.
A business must only use images of its current food hygiene rating. If your rating changes following a later inspection, you must remove images of previous ratings from your premises or promotional materials, and only use images of the new rating.
Local councils may issue an 'awaiting inspection' sticker to new food businesses, or to businesses under new ownership, once they have registered. You should display this sticker until the council inspects your business and gives you a food hygiene rating.
Online food hygiene ratings
The Food Standards Agency (FSA) will publish your rating on its food hygiene ratings website. There may be temporary differences between the rating displayed at your premises and rating shown online. This can happen if:
- the local council is uploading a new rating to the website
- your business is appealing the ranking and awaiting the result
If you cannot find your business' rating online, you should contact the local authority responsible for inspecting your premises.
Promote your food hygiene rating
You can promote your food hygiene rating by displaying it on your menus, website or social media channels. Promoting your rating can benefit your business by showing your customers that you take food hygiene seriously and that the food you serve is safe.
Find out how to make the most of your business rating.
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Source URL
/content/displaying-and-promoting-your-food-hygiene-rating
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Food hygiene rating: appeals, replies and re-inspections
How to reply to and appeal your food hygiene rating, and request a re-visit inspection from a food safety officer.
After a hygiene inspection of your premises, a food safety officer will tell you in writing what your food hygiene rating is, and issue a food hygiene rating sticker. If you believe that the rating does not reflect the hygiene standards at your premises at the time of inspection, there are steps you can take.
Appeal a food hygiene rating
If you disagree with your food rating, it is a good idea to first speak informally to the food safety officer who inspected your premises. Their contact details will be included in your rating notification letter. The officer should help you understand how your rating was worked out and advise if an appeal is appropriate.
If you still believe that the rating is wrong or unfair, you can appeal it in writing to your local council. You must submit the appeal within 21 days of receiving the rating notification. Details on how to appeal are included in the 'notification of rating' letter.
The appeal will be considered by an authorised officer who was not involved in the original inspection. You will be notified of the outcome within 21 days of the council receiving your appeal. In some circumstances, a food safety officer may visit your premises again.
Once the appeal process is complete, the council will publish your rating online. If you disagree with the outcome, you can use the council’s complaints procedure or challenge the decision by judicial review.
Right to reply to your food hygiene rating
The right to reply allows you to explain to your customers any actions you have taken to improve hygiene standards since your inspection. You can also explain any unusual circumstances that may have affected the rating.
To use this right, you should send your comments in writing to the food safety officer who carried out the inspection. Your comments will be published online alongside your hygiene rating. The council may edit your comments if they include any offensive, defamatory, inaccurate or irrelevant remarks.
Request a re-visit inspection
You will receive a new food hygiene rating each time your premises are inspected as part of routine local council inspections.
If you have made improvements to hygiene standards raised in your last inspection report, you can ask for a re-visit to get a new rating before your next planned inspection. You will have to:
- submit the request in writing to the local council
- explain what actions you have taken since the last inspection
- provide supporting evidence, such as receipts or photographs to show that work has been completed
There is a charge for a requested re-rating visit. The local council will provide details of the costs and how to pay.
Find out more about the Food Hygiene Rating Scheme safeguards, including appeals, the right to reply and asking for a re-visit.
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Healthier menu choices for food businesses
In this guide:
- Starting and running a food business
- Start a food business in Northern Ireland
- How to register your food business in Northern Ireland
- Comply with food safety regulations
- Food allergies, food intolerances and labelling
- Healthier menu choices for food businesses
- Inform customers of calories and allergens with MenuCal
- Starting a food business - Bodega Bagels
- Running a food business from home – Lily Pink Bakery
- Using strategic partnerships to innovate and grow - NearyNógs Stoneground Chocolate
Start a food business in Northern Ireland
What you need to know about starting a food business in Northern Ireland, including how to register and comply with food safety and allergen law.
Food businesses in Northern Ireland are required by law to register their establishments with the environmental health service of their local council. Food establishments include:
- food retail businesses
- catering outlets
- food manufacturing and packing businesses
- businesses importing or exporting food
- food distribution businesses
- domestic premises where food business activities are carried out
Registered premises are inspected to ensure they comply with the law. See how to register your food business.
Comply with the law when starting a food business
Whether you're starting a food business from scratch or taking over an existing business, you must comply with certain rules, including:
- ensuring premises are suitable for preparing food safely
- ensuring appropriate food safety procedures are in place
Read more on how to comply with food safety regulations and what you must do regarding food allergies, food intolerance and labelling.
Best practice when starting a food business
You should follow best practice guidelines to help you comply with the law. The Food Standards Agency (FSA) has advice and guidance on setting up a food business. Their guide on safe catering covers best practice and helps food businesses meet their legal requirement to have a Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point based procedure in place.
There is also FSA guidance on safer food, better business for caterers focusing on key areas such as food safety, storage, training and hygiene.
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How to register your food business in Northern Ireland
How to register your food business with your local council and find advice on starting a food business in Northern Ireland.
All food establishments in Northern Ireland, including home-based businesses, must be registered with their local council environmental health service.
Do I need to register my food business?
All types of food businesses that serve customers directly need to register, including:
- restaurants, cafes and takeaways
- catering businesses run from home, B&Bs, mobile catering and temporary businesses
- marquees, food stalls, food pop-ups and food vans
- nurseries, schools and care homes
- distance selling, mail order and food delivery including online
You will need to register your food business if you:
- sell food
- cook food
- store or handle food
- prepare food
- distribute food
Businesses involved in food distribution or food supply that operate from an office should also register as food businesses, even if they don't keep any food at the premises.
When do I need to register my food business?
You must register your food establishment at least 28 days before opening. If you have more than one food establishment then each one must be registered with the local council where it's located. If you are already trading and have not registered, you need to do so as soon as possible.
You should also tell the local council environmental health service if there is:
- a change of food business operator (notification should be made by the new food business operator)
- a change to the activities carried out in relation to food
- a closure of a food business establishment
Why do food premises have to be registered?
Registration enables local councils to a list of all food premises in their area. They can visit them when they need to and inspect the establishment to make sure they comply with food safety regulations.
How to register your food business establishment
Registering a food business is simple and free of charge. You only have to register each food establishment once.
GOV.UK has a food business registration tool where you simply submit the postcode location of your food business establishment. The tool then returns details of how to apply to your local council with a link to the application form, whether it be an online or downloadable form.
Your local council environmental health service will be able to help you with any questions you have about registering your food business. Find your local council in Northern Ireland.
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Comply with food safety regulations
Find guidance, information and best practice on complying with food safety regulations.
Food safety laws protect consumers from unsafe food. To comply with food hygiene and standards, you must implement food safety management procedures and consider the suppliers you use, the traceability of your food, and how you transport it.
Food safety management procedures
All catering and retail food business operators must have in place food safety management procedures based on the Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) principles.
HACCP is an internationally recognised system of food safety management that helps you:
- identify potential food safety problems - or 'hazards' - in your business
- introduce procedures to remove the hazards, or reduce them to an acceptable level
These procedures can help you produce and sell food that is safe to eat, providing that you keep up-to-date documentation and records relating to your procedures, and review procedures regularly to ensure they reflect what you produce or how you work.
FSA guidance on food safety management
To help you put food safety management procedures in place, the Food Standards Agency (FSA) provides food safety management guides for small businesses, including:
- safe catering - for caterers and retailers in Northern Ireland
- safer food, better business - for restaurants, cafés, takeaways and other small catering businesses
These guides will not only help you comply with food hygiene regulations, but will also help you understand how to:
- make food safely
- train staff
- keep records to show that your food safety procedures are effective
- protect your business' reputation
- improve your business' efficiency - eg by wasting less food
There are other FSA guides that can help you comply with food hygiene legislation and give advice on good practice. For example:
- E.coli cross-contamination guidance - it focuses on E. coli but the steps taken to avoid cross-contamination will also help control other harmful bacteria
- Food safety for food delivery guidance - it provides hygiene and allergy advice specifically for takeaways and food delivery businesses
- Food handlers fitness to work guidance - it gives advice on preventing the spread of infection by clarifying what illnesses and symptoms staff should report and what managers should do in response
Your local council environmental health service can also advise you on the relevant food safety management procedures. Find your local council in Northern Ireland.
Food hygiene
Anyone who handles food follow practices that minimise the risk of harm to the consumer. Part of complying with food safety is managing:
- food hygiene, including requirements on cleaning, cooking, chilling food and cross-contamination
- food standards, ie legal standards for labelling and composition of food products
You must also meet the legal requirements for food packaging and labelling.
Food allergens and additives
To keep your customers safe, you must provide accurate allergen information and manage allergens properly in the food preparation area. Find out more about food allergies, food intolerances and labelling.
Additional rules apply if you use food additives.
Traceability and withdrawal of food
Traceability rules help keep track of food in the supply chain and require you to keep records of:
- all the suppliers that provide you with any food or ingredients
- all the businesses that you supply with food products or ingredients
The records will help enforcement officers if there is a problem with food safety that would require your food to be withdrawn or recalled. Records should include:
- the name and address of supplier (or the business you are supplying)
- the nature and quantity of products
- the date of the transaction or delivery
You can also record batch number, invoices or receipts of food products purchased.
You must keep these records up-to-date and available for inspections at all times. They will be checked if there is a safety problem with food you have sold.
You need to withdraw from sale food which is unsafe. You must let the environmental health department of your local council and the FSA know if you have supplied unsafe food to customers. Read guidance on food incidents, product withdrawals and recalls.
Food safety inspections and enforcement
In Northern Ireland, local councils are responsible for enforcing food hygiene laws. Authorised officers have the right to:
- enter and inspect your premises at any reasonable time without making an appointment
- take enforcement action to protect the public, such as seizing foods suspected to be unfit for human consumption
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Food allergies, food intolerances and labelling
Why food operators need to be aware of food allergies and intolerances, and how to put in place best practice.
Some people have an allergy or intolerance to certain types of food. They need enough information about what they eat to help them avoid these foods.
Food businesses in the retail and catering sector are required by law to provide allergen information to consumers and follow the relevant labelling rules. They must:
- provide allergen information for prepacked and non-prepacked food and drink products
- handle and manage food allergens effectively in food preparation
- make sure that staff receive training on allergens
List of allergens in food - 14 major food allergens
Any type of food can cause a reaction, but some are more likely to than others. There are 14 major allergens which food businesses must declare by law when used as ingredients:
- celery
- cereals containing gluten - including wheat (such as spelt and Khorasan), rye, barley and oats
- crustaceans - such as prawns, crabs and lobsters
- eggs
- fish
- lupin
- milk
- molluscs - such as mussels and oysters
- mustard (except behenic acid with a minimum of 85 % of purity and obtained after two distillation steps used in the manufacturing of the emulsifiers E 470a, E 471 and E 477)
- tree nuts - including almonds, hazelnuts, walnuts, brazil nuts, cashews, pecans, pistachios and macadamia nuts
- peanuts
- sesame seeds
- soybeans
- sulphur dioxide and sulphites (in concentration of more than ten parts per million)
Even a very small amount of certain foods can sometimes cause a severe reaction called anaphylaxis. This can make people very ill and in some cases can be fatal, so it's crucial and also a legal requirement that you're able to inform your customers what's in a particular dish.
Allergen information for different types of food
Different allergen labelling rules apply depending on how the food is provided to the customer. For example:
Prepacked food
Prepacked food must have an ingredients list present on the packaging and allergens present in the product must be emphasised each time they appear in the ingredients list.
Non-prepacked (loose) foods
Loose foods must have allergen information for every item that contains any of the 14 allergens.
Prepacked for direct sale (PPDS) food
From 1 October 2021, the requirements for PPDS food labelling changed. Any business that produces PPDS food is required to label it with the name of the food and a full ingredients list, with allergenic ingredients emphasised within the list.
Find out more about food allergen labelling.
Tell customers about food allergens and calories
The Food Standards Agency (FSA) has developed a range of resources to help food businesses comply with legal requirements to manage and record allergen information.
These resources include:
- The MenuCal tool - can help you to identify, manage and communicate allergen information for food and drink on your menu. You can also use it to calculate the amount of energy in food and drink on the menu.
- Managing food allergen guidance for food businesses - it offers advice for food businesses on providing allergen information and best practice for handling allergens.
- In-depth technical food allergen labelling and information guidance - it outlines the food allergen labelling and information requirements under the EU Food Information for Consumers regulations.
- Allergy training for food businesses - free online training and materials for food business operators and those involved in selling or producing food.
- Allergen checklist for food businesses - it includes advice on providing allergen information and avoiding cross-contamination in the kitchen.
Further guidance is available on allergen labelling changes for prepacked for direct sale (PPDS) food. You can also use the Food Standards Agency's allergen and ingredients food labelling tool to check if your business sells PPDS food.
Labelling of 'free-from' foods
Making 'free-from' claims in relation to food allergens requires strict controls of ingredients, how they are handled and how they are prepared. A 'free-from' claim is a guarantee that the food is suitable for all with an allergy or intolerance.
For example, if you are handling wheat flour in a kitchen and you cannot remove the risk of cross-contamination, you should let the customer know and you should not make any gluten-free or wheat-free claims.
The Food and Drink Federation provides specific information and guidance on:
See more on labelling food products.
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Healthier menu choices for food businesses
Guidance to help different types of food businesses provide cost-effective, healthier food choices for customers.
It makes good business sense to give your customers healthier food choices. By serving healthier options you could help improve the health of your customers while also reducing your operating costs. For example, you could reduce the amount of meat in a pasta dish by substituting it with finely diced vegetables.
Making menus healthier
The Food Standards Agency (FSA) in Northern Ireland has a range of online resources to help you make your menu healthier.
Their Calorie Wise scheme supports you to display energy information – in both kilojoules (kJ) and kilocalories (kcal) – on your menu and provide healthier options, enabling consumers to make healthier, more informed choices when eating out.
To put energy information on your menu will need to accurately calculate the energy content of your recipes. You can do this using the FSA's free online MenuCal tool. The tool can also help you identify, manage and communicate required allergen information.
By standardising recipes and planning your menu, you can make small changes to make the food you serve healthier and more profitable.
Healthier catering tips for food businesses
A range of healthier catering guides is available from the FSA. These guides provide simple, practical changes that businesses can make when procuring, preparing, cooking, serving and promoting food. There are seven different business-specific guides:
- Healthier catering tips for food businesses
- Healthier catering tips for Chinese restaurants and takeaways
- Healthier catering tips for chip shops
- Healthier catering tips for Indian and South Asian restaurants and takeaways
- Healthy catering tips for Italian restaurants and takeaways
- Healthier catering tips for pizza restaurants and takeaways
- Healthier catering tips for sandwich shops
These guides describe simple, practical changes businesses can make when procuring, preparing, cooking, serving and promoting food.
Making Food Better programme
The FSA's Making Food Better programme, previously known as the Eating Well Choosing Better programme, supports Northern Ireland food businesses to make the food environment healthier through:
- reducing calories, saturated fat, sugar, and salt in the food they produce, sell or serve
- reducing portion size
- providing nutritional information
- delivering responsible promotions
The acronym below outlines the meaning of "Better" and what the FSA aims to achieve under the Making Food Better programme:
- Balanced – providing nutritionally balanced options.
- Environment – promoting a healthier and more sustainable food environment.
- Transparent – providing consumers with more information about the food they eat.
- Trusted – high quality food, that is what it says it is.
- Education – educating consumers about a healthy balanced diet and providing data and insights about food product improvement.
- Reformulation – food product improvement to make food that is healthier.
The FSA works with a range of stakeholders across Northern Ireland including local councils and academic institutions to support the food industry in making food better.
The FSA website lists a range of resources, funding and support available to food businesses in Northern Ireland to help them produce healthier food.
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Inform customers of calories and allergens with MenuCal
Free online tool to help food businesses identify and inform customers of allergens and calories for menu items.
The Food Standards Agency (FSA) provides a free online tool to help businesses identify, manage and communicate allergen information and display calories on menus.
The MenuCal tool allows food businesses to identify if there are allergens present in any of the food they serve and make this information known to their customers. MenuCal can also be used to calculate energy in the food that businesses serve. The tool enables food businesses to add ingredients for recipes and print off menus with allergen and energy information clearly displayed.
MenuCal aims to save food businesses time and money by helping you comply with legal requirements to manage and display allergen information. It could also increase your profitability by appealing to health-conscious customers by helping you to:
- make smarter choices about the food you serve
- tailor portion sizes to reduce the amount of energy value
- change ingredients to give a healthier option
Through the FSA's Calorie Wise scheme, support and advice is available to food businesses to help them put energy information on the menu.
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Starting and running a food business
Starting a food business - Bodega Bagels
Steven Orr, co-founder of Bodega Bagels, explains how they started their business.
Bodega Bagels is a bakery producing New York-style bagels and cream cheese spreads. The business began in the garage of founders Steven Orr and Kirsty Winter. Less than five months after opening, Bodega Bagels expanded to employ eight additional staff. At first, the business sold its products through an online order and pick-up service and now has a weekend pop-up at the Banana Block, a museum and events space, in east Belfast.
Steven tells us about the process of starting a food business, including registering, following food hygiene rules and where to find advice.
Getting started
"We decided to start Bodega Bagels during the lockdown. We realised how much better our homemade bagels were compared to supermarket versions and saw a gap in the market in Northern Ireland."
"We considered how to sell our bagels – we opted to sell in advance via our website for customers to collect at the weekend."
"East Belfast Enterprise helped us by recommending we access start-up support from our local council, and after their grounding in the area, we moved to the Kick Start programme that offered mentoring support. This assistance gave us the confidence to develop a business plan, which led to a grant to buy an industrial oven."
Registering our food business
"Registering our business wasn’t as complicated as we thought. I learned about the process by searching online. Baking bagels is relatively low-risk, with no hot food, no raw meat and very few allergens, making the process much easier. Talking to the Environmental Health Officers (EHO) from Belfast City Council showed me that it wasn't as scary as it seems – most of it is common sense."
"If you run a registered food business, you must have a plan based on the Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) principles. This plan considers and manages potential risks to food safety. I found helpful templates online and was able to create a system that was manageable but also detailed enough to cover all the legal requirements."
Food safety and hygiene
"For Bodega Bagels, food hygiene is mainly about having a clean cooking facility and environment. We use wipeable surfaces, hand cleaning facilities and protective clothing to reduce any chance of contamination. As we've grown to produce spreads and cold bagel fillings, we record our deliveries and storage and temperature-check our fridges."
"Understanding allergens and ensuring our customers are aware of these is a priority. We publish allergen information on our website and display it on site. All new staff are trained on the dangers of cross-contamination and are aware of any risk items we sell – they also know how to mitigate those risks."
"Online courses are a good source of guidance – the short Level 2 Food Hygiene certification covers most of what you need to know."
"The council Environmental Health Officers are the single best source of information. Our EHO is only a phone call or an email away, and is always on hand to offer advice and guidance. The Food Standards Agency are also really helpful and always open to giving advice. They want you to succeed - they don't want to trip you up."
Growing our business
"Bodega Bagels has gone from being based in our garage to having a weekend pitch at Banana Block and ten staff. Our growth has been rapid and we don't plan on slowing down. In time, we hope to do more than just weekends and expand into catering and wholesale."
"The best compliment we hear is an American customer telling us our bagels are on par with bagels in NYC and the best they've ever had outside of New York."
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Starting and running a food business
Running a food business from home – Lily Pink Bakery
Claire Magowan, founder of Lily Pink Bakery, discusses the challenges, rewards, and practicalities of running her food business from home.
Lily Pink Bakery is a home-based bakery in Belfast, specialising in creative buttercream cakes, cupcakes, and brownies. The business holds a 5-star Food Hygiene Rating and trades mainly online through direct deliveries, customer collections and postal orders.
Claire Magowan, founder of Lily Pink Bakery, discusses the challenges, rewards, and practicalities of running her food business from home.
Getting started
"I had always loved baking, having made cupcakes and cakes for fun for years. In 2012, I joined a Belfast City Council programme on turning your hobby into a business and went straight into self-employment. I never looked back!"
"Working out of my home was the only option when I started. I had no funding and didn't wish to begin my business in lots of debt."
"In the early days, I concentrated mainly on market trading with a permanent stall at St George's Market. This route allowed me to have a space where I could trade and meet my customers without the commitment of premises and the associated bills."
"Although I loved trading at the market, by 2018, wedding cakes were becoming my main focus, and then COVID-19 happened. Almost all my bookings were cancelled or rescheduled across 2020 and 2021."
Adapting the business model
"Working within the restrictions, I set up my e-commerce site on Shopify and began selling weekly cupcake boxes that I would bake at home and deliver across Belfast one day a week. This approach was a roaring success - it allowed my business to survive and thrive. I learned many new skills, including route planning for deliveries and operating an online store."
"From this, I also developed my postal boxes - these were a massive undertaking, researching packaging that would survive the postal system, what items had the best shelf life and the legalities of distance selling."
"Most of my sales now come directly from my website. I deliver wedding cakes across Northern Ireland, and for all other orders, my customers usually collect from my home."
Pros and cons of running a food business from home
"The cost is the biggest benefit. I don't have to worry about high rents and rates fees. At times, I have considered renting kitchen spaces or retail space in Belfast, but this is very expensive and truly limits the food culture of this city which has so much potential. The other benefit, of course, is avoiding a daily commute!"
"In terms of the challenges, maintaining a healthy work/life balance can be very difficult at times. If possible, designate a separate space within your home for work to help you avoid bad habits I have developed, like doing your admin in bed!"
"You must also ensure that your business doesn't disrupt the community around you. For example, with noise or customers parking when collecting their orders."
Food safety and hygiene
"Like any food business, I must register with the council. This process involves a home inspection and following the same procedures as any restaurant or cafe. You also must complete a food hygiene course."
"To manage daily food hygiene, I keep a log of clean-down times for my kitchen, including the equipment cleaned, the cleaning product used, and the time completed. Belfast City Council provides a binder with easy-to-follow guidelines for all required records and procedures."
"My home business is considered low-risk, so I don't find major food safety and hygiene challenges. Working with meat, or in allergen-friendly manufacturing, the rules are likely to be stricter."
"I state my allergens clearly on my website in several places, including my menu and FAQ page. On the Shopify store, I list the allergens in the description on each product page. For anything posted or pre-packaged, I have all ingredients listed and, where necessary, broken down into component ingredients."
"I tell my customers that I work in an open kitchen environment and can't guarantee items are allergen-free. I am very strict in protecting customers and my safety."
"I'm delighted to have a 5-star Food Hygiene Rating from the council. This rating shows my customers that I respect their safety and well-being by maintaining a clean, organised manufacturing environment."
"I achieved my rating by working with Belfast City Council and following all the advice they give when registering, including the food and allergen safety guidance they have on their website. In my experience, the council staff are helpful and will answer any questions to help you achieve the food hygiene levels required for your business."
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Starting and running a food business
Using strategic partnerships to innovate and grow - NearyNógs Stoneground Chocolate
Shane Neary, co-founder of NearyNógs Stoneground Chocolate, explains how they use strategic partnerships to innovate and grow their family business.
NearyNógs Stoneground Chocolate is Ireland's first bean-to-bar chocolate maker, based in County Down. Founded in 2011 by Shane and Dorothy Neary, the company ethically sources high-quality cocoa beans and produces over 60 craft chocolate products. It supplies wholesale, retail, online, and export markets, while also offering workshops, factory tours, and events that immerse customers in the craft of chocolate making.
In this case study, Shane describes how collaborations with retailers, distilleries, and other artisan producers have driven their success, leading to an expanded product range, unique customer experiences, and new business opportunities.
From a hobby to a craft chocolate business
"It started with a fundraiser. A family member was going to India for charity work, so we made chocolate to raise money. People loved it, and soon we were supplying craft markets, weddings, and events. Then life changed. Our youngest child became ill, and we needed flexibility. Regular jobs no longer suited us, so we became self-employed and turned our hobby into a business."
"From the start, customers asked for dairy-free and gluten-free options, so we decided to produce our chocolate entirely in-house. That's how our craft chocolate business was born."
Creating strategic alliances
"Partnerships have helped us grow in ways we couldn't alone. We work with small retailers, major brands, ethical farming communities, and suppliers worldwide. But being a rural business, we don't have the footfall of a city-based chocolatier. Collaborating locally helps us to bridge that gap and reach new customers through events and co-branded products."
"We've teamed up with nearby distilleries to create chocolate-spirit pairings, and we've run tasting experiences with local artisan producers. These partnerships increase sales, attract visitors, and introduce our products to new markets. They also allow us to experiment with new ingredients, techniques and product ideas, helping us stay ahead in a competitive industry."
"We've also worked with organisations like Tourism Ireland, Tourism Northern Ireland, Invest Northern Ireland, and local council groups to expand our reach and build our brand."
What we look for in a potential partner
"When choosing partners, we look for honesty, integrity, and shared values around ethical sourcing, sustainability, and craftsmanship. Transparency in the supply chain and fair pricing are essential. And a partnership must feel right - it helps to like the people you're working with."
"Locally, we focus on tourism and craft experiences, as well as food and drink producers whose products complement ours. A great example is our work with a local distillery to create a chocolate infused with high-quality craft spirits. Tourists loved it; it was something they couldn't find anywhere else. This partnership boosted sales and introduced us to a new audience."
"Working with larger retailers is a different challenge. Orders are bigger, but prices are lower, negotiations tougher, and terms stricter. Project management is more demanding too. Smaller collaborations give us flexibility and shared exposure, so we balance both to stay profitable and visible."
Managing partnerships: challenges and solutions
"Forming partnerships isn't always straightforward - pricing must be fair for both sides, and aligning schedules between busy businesses takes effort. However, with experience, we've developed a more streamlined approach. We refined our pricing models and learned to adjust availability to make partnerships smoother and more efficient over time."
"Balancing brand visibility also needs careful handling. When we create a product with a partner, both brands must receive recognition. In our chocolate infused with local spirits, for instance, our branding takes the lead, but we clearly acknowledge our collaborator. When a promotional event takes place at either partner's venue, one brand will naturally be more visible, but both businesses equally benefit from shared exposure and ticket revenue."
"Detailed planning is essential for collaborative product development. For new product launches, our core crafting process remains consistent, but partnerships require joint taste testing, collaborative packaging design, and reaching consensus on recipes, flavours, and pricing. This added development time is crucial for creating products that represent both brands and stand out in a competitive market."
How collaboration fuels our growth
"Partnerships influence every part of our business, especially product development. By using local ingredients and produce in our chocolate, we've created new flavours, recipes, and product lines that attract both locals and tourists."
"Co-branded events attract more customers and allow us to set higher ticket prices. Joint marketing expands our audience, and working with other brands strengthens our reputation. It shows we support local businesses, create unique experiences, and add value to our region's economy. It also makes us a more attractive partner for future collaborations."
"We measure the success of our collaborations by tracking customer feedback, analysing lessons learned, and cultivating new business contacts. Every partnership should help us grow - whether in assets, experience, networks, or market reach."
Future outlook on collaboration
"Collaboration will always be part of what we do at NearyNógs. It builds community, creates new experiences, and strengthens our business. Whether through product development, tourism, or customer engagement, partnerships will remain central to our growth."
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Inform customers of calories and allergens with MenuCal
In this guide:
- Starting and running a food business
- Start a food business in Northern Ireland
- How to register your food business in Northern Ireland
- Comply with food safety regulations
- Food allergies, food intolerances and labelling
- Healthier menu choices for food businesses
- Inform customers of calories and allergens with MenuCal
- Starting a food business - Bodega Bagels
- Running a food business from home – Lily Pink Bakery
- Using strategic partnerships to innovate and grow - NearyNógs Stoneground Chocolate
Start a food business in Northern Ireland
What you need to know about starting a food business in Northern Ireland, including how to register and comply with food safety and allergen law.
Food businesses in Northern Ireland are required by law to register their establishments with the environmental health service of their local council. Food establishments include:
- food retail businesses
- catering outlets
- food manufacturing and packing businesses
- businesses importing or exporting food
- food distribution businesses
- domestic premises where food business activities are carried out
Registered premises are inspected to ensure they comply with the law. See how to register your food business.
Comply with the law when starting a food business
Whether you're starting a food business from scratch or taking over an existing business, you must comply with certain rules, including:
- ensuring premises are suitable for preparing food safely
- ensuring appropriate food safety procedures are in place
Read more on how to comply with food safety regulations and what you must do regarding food allergies, food intolerance and labelling.
Best practice when starting a food business
You should follow best practice guidelines to help you comply with the law. The Food Standards Agency (FSA) has advice and guidance on setting up a food business. Their guide on safe catering covers best practice and helps food businesses meet their legal requirement to have a Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point based procedure in place.
There is also FSA guidance on safer food, better business for caterers focusing on key areas such as food safety, storage, training and hygiene.
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How to register your food business in Northern Ireland
How to register your food business with your local council and find advice on starting a food business in Northern Ireland.
All food establishments in Northern Ireland, including home-based businesses, must be registered with their local council environmental health service.
Do I need to register my food business?
All types of food businesses that serve customers directly need to register, including:
- restaurants, cafes and takeaways
- catering businesses run from home, B&Bs, mobile catering and temporary businesses
- marquees, food stalls, food pop-ups and food vans
- nurseries, schools and care homes
- distance selling, mail order and food delivery including online
You will need to register your food business if you:
- sell food
- cook food
- store or handle food
- prepare food
- distribute food
Businesses involved in food distribution or food supply that operate from an office should also register as food businesses, even if they don't keep any food at the premises.
When do I need to register my food business?
You must register your food establishment at least 28 days before opening. If you have more than one food establishment then each one must be registered with the local council where it's located. If you are already trading and have not registered, you need to do so as soon as possible.
You should also tell the local council environmental health service if there is:
- a change of food business operator (notification should be made by the new food business operator)
- a change to the activities carried out in relation to food
- a closure of a food business establishment
Why do food premises have to be registered?
Registration enables local councils to a list of all food premises in their area. They can visit them when they need to and inspect the establishment to make sure they comply with food safety regulations.
How to register your food business establishment
Registering a food business is simple and free of charge. You only have to register each food establishment once.
GOV.UK has a food business registration tool where you simply submit the postcode location of your food business establishment. The tool then returns details of how to apply to your local council with a link to the application form, whether it be an online or downloadable form.
Your local council environmental health service will be able to help you with any questions you have about registering your food business. Find your local council in Northern Ireland.
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Comply with food safety regulations
Find guidance, information and best practice on complying with food safety regulations.
Food safety laws protect consumers from unsafe food. To comply with food hygiene and standards, you must implement food safety management procedures and consider the suppliers you use, the traceability of your food, and how you transport it.
Food safety management procedures
All catering and retail food business operators must have in place food safety management procedures based on the Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) principles.
HACCP is an internationally recognised system of food safety management that helps you:
- identify potential food safety problems - or 'hazards' - in your business
- introduce procedures to remove the hazards, or reduce them to an acceptable level
These procedures can help you produce and sell food that is safe to eat, providing that you keep up-to-date documentation and records relating to your procedures, and review procedures regularly to ensure they reflect what you produce or how you work.
FSA guidance on food safety management
To help you put food safety management procedures in place, the Food Standards Agency (FSA) provides food safety management guides for small businesses, including:
- safe catering - for caterers and retailers in Northern Ireland
- safer food, better business - for restaurants, cafés, takeaways and other small catering businesses
These guides will not only help you comply with food hygiene regulations, but will also help you understand how to:
- make food safely
- train staff
- keep records to show that your food safety procedures are effective
- protect your business' reputation
- improve your business' efficiency - eg by wasting less food
There are other FSA guides that can help you comply with food hygiene legislation and give advice on good practice. For example:
- E.coli cross-contamination guidance - it focuses on E. coli but the steps taken to avoid cross-contamination will also help control other harmful bacteria
- Food safety for food delivery guidance - it provides hygiene and allergy advice specifically for takeaways and food delivery businesses
- Food handlers fitness to work guidance - it gives advice on preventing the spread of infection by clarifying what illnesses and symptoms staff should report and what managers should do in response
Your local council environmental health service can also advise you on the relevant food safety management procedures. Find your local council in Northern Ireland.
Food hygiene
Anyone who handles food follow practices that minimise the risk of harm to the consumer. Part of complying with food safety is managing:
- food hygiene, including requirements on cleaning, cooking, chilling food and cross-contamination
- food standards, ie legal standards for labelling and composition of food products
You must also meet the legal requirements for food packaging and labelling.
Food allergens and additives
To keep your customers safe, you must provide accurate allergen information and manage allergens properly in the food preparation area. Find out more about food allergies, food intolerances and labelling.
Additional rules apply if you use food additives.
Traceability and withdrawal of food
Traceability rules help keep track of food in the supply chain and require you to keep records of:
- all the suppliers that provide you with any food or ingredients
- all the businesses that you supply with food products or ingredients
The records will help enforcement officers if there is a problem with food safety that would require your food to be withdrawn or recalled. Records should include:
- the name and address of supplier (or the business you are supplying)
- the nature and quantity of products
- the date of the transaction or delivery
You can also record batch number, invoices or receipts of food products purchased.
You must keep these records up-to-date and available for inspections at all times. They will be checked if there is a safety problem with food you have sold.
You need to withdraw from sale food which is unsafe. You must let the environmental health department of your local council and the FSA know if you have supplied unsafe food to customers. Read guidance on food incidents, product withdrawals and recalls.
Food safety inspections and enforcement
In Northern Ireland, local councils are responsible for enforcing food hygiene laws. Authorised officers have the right to:
- enter and inspect your premises at any reasonable time without making an appointment
- take enforcement action to protect the public, such as seizing foods suspected to be unfit for human consumption
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Food allergies, food intolerances and labelling
Why food operators need to be aware of food allergies and intolerances, and how to put in place best practice.
Some people have an allergy or intolerance to certain types of food. They need enough information about what they eat to help them avoid these foods.
Food businesses in the retail and catering sector are required by law to provide allergen information to consumers and follow the relevant labelling rules. They must:
- provide allergen information for prepacked and non-prepacked food and drink products
- handle and manage food allergens effectively in food preparation
- make sure that staff receive training on allergens
List of allergens in food - 14 major food allergens
Any type of food can cause a reaction, but some are more likely to than others. There are 14 major allergens which food businesses must declare by law when used as ingredients:
- celery
- cereals containing gluten - including wheat (such as spelt and Khorasan), rye, barley and oats
- crustaceans - such as prawns, crabs and lobsters
- eggs
- fish
- lupin
- milk
- molluscs - such as mussels and oysters
- mustard (except behenic acid with a minimum of 85 % of purity and obtained after two distillation steps used in the manufacturing of the emulsifiers E 470a, E 471 and E 477)
- tree nuts - including almonds, hazelnuts, walnuts, brazil nuts, cashews, pecans, pistachios and macadamia nuts
- peanuts
- sesame seeds
- soybeans
- sulphur dioxide and sulphites (in concentration of more than ten parts per million)
Even a very small amount of certain foods can sometimes cause a severe reaction called anaphylaxis. This can make people very ill and in some cases can be fatal, so it's crucial and also a legal requirement that you're able to inform your customers what's in a particular dish.
Allergen information for different types of food
Different allergen labelling rules apply depending on how the food is provided to the customer. For example:
Prepacked food
Prepacked food must have an ingredients list present on the packaging and allergens present in the product must be emphasised each time they appear in the ingredients list.
Non-prepacked (loose) foods
Loose foods must have allergen information for every item that contains any of the 14 allergens.
Prepacked for direct sale (PPDS) food
From 1 October 2021, the requirements for PPDS food labelling changed. Any business that produces PPDS food is required to label it with the name of the food and a full ingredients list, with allergenic ingredients emphasised within the list.
Find out more about food allergen labelling.
Tell customers about food allergens and calories
The Food Standards Agency (FSA) has developed a range of resources to help food businesses comply with legal requirements to manage and record allergen information.
These resources include:
- The MenuCal tool - can help you to identify, manage and communicate allergen information for food and drink on your menu. You can also use it to calculate the amount of energy in food and drink on the menu.
- Managing food allergen guidance for food businesses - it offers advice for food businesses on providing allergen information and best practice for handling allergens.
- In-depth technical food allergen labelling and information guidance - it outlines the food allergen labelling and information requirements under the EU Food Information for Consumers regulations.
- Allergy training for food businesses - free online training and materials for food business operators and those involved in selling or producing food.
- Allergen checklist for food businesses - it includes advice on providing allergen information and avoiding cross-contamination in the kitchen.
Further guidance is available on allergen labelling changes for prepacked for direct sale (PPDS) food. You can also use the Food Standards Agency's allergen and ingredients food labelling tool to check if your business sells PPDS food.
Labelling of 'free-from' foods
Making 'free-from' claims in relation to food allergens requires strict controls of ingredients, how they are handled and how they are prepared. A 'free-from' claim is a guarantee that the food is suitable for all with an allergy or intolerance.
For example, if you are handling wheat flour in a kitchen and you cannot remove the risk of cross-contamination, you should let the customer know and you should not make any gluten-free or wheat-free claims.
The Food and Drink Federation provides specific information and guidance on:
See more on labelling food products.
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Healthier menu choices for food businesses
Guidance to help different types of food businesses provide cost-effective, healthier food choices for customers.
It makes good business sense to give your customers healthier food choices. By serving healthier options you could help improve the health of your customers while also reducing your operating costs. For example, you could reduce the amount of meat in a pasta dish by substituting it with finely diced vegetables.
Making menus healthier
The Food Standards Agency (FSA) in Northern Ireland has a range of online resources to help you make your menu healthier.
Their Calorie Wise scheme supports you to display energy information – in both kilojoules (kJ) and kilocalories (kcal) – on your menu and provide healthier options, enabling consumers to make healthier, more informed choices when eating out.
To put energy information on your menu will need to accurately calculate the energy content of your recipes. You can do this using the FSA's free online MenuCal tool. The tool can also help you identify, manage and communicate required allergen information.
By standardising recipes and planning your menu, you can make small changes to make the food you serve healthier and more profitable.
Healthier catering tips for food businesses
A range of healthier catering guides is available from the FSA. These guides provide simple, practical changes that businesses can make when procuring, preparing, cooking, serving and promoting food. There are seven different business-specific guides:
- Healthier catering tips for food businesses
- Healthier catering tips for Chinese restaurants and takeaways
- Healthier catering tips for chip shops
- Healthier catering tips for Indian and South Asian restaurants and takeaways
- Healthy catering tips for Italian restaurants and takeaways
- Healthier catering tips for pizza restaurants and takeaways
- Healthier catering tips for sandwich shops
These guides describe simple, practical changes businesses can make when procuring, preparing, cooking, serving and promoting food.
Making Food Better programme
The FSA's Making Food Better programme, previously known as the Eating Well Choosing Better programme, supports Northern Ireland food businesses to make the food environment healthier through:
- reducing calories, saturated fat, sugar, and salt in the food they produce, sell or serve
- reducing portion size
- providing nutritional information
- delivering responsible promotions
The acronym below outlines the meaning of "Better" and what the FSA aims to achieve under the Making Food Better programme:
- Balanced – providing nutritionally balanced options.
- Environment – promoting a healthier and more sustainable food environment.
- Transparent – providing consumers with more information about the food they eat.
- Trusted – high quality food, that is what it says it is.
- Education – educating consumers about a healthy balanced diet and providing data and insights about food product improvement.
- Reformulation – food product improvement to make food that is healthier.
The FSA works with a range of stakeholders across Northern Ireland including local councils and academic institutions to support the food industry in making food better.
The FSA website lists a range of resources, funding and support available to food businesses in Northern Ireland to help them produce healthier food.
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Inform customers of calories and allergens with MenuCal
Free online tool to help food businesses identify and inform customers of allergens and calories for menu items.
The Food Standards Agency (FSA) provides a free online tool to help businesses identify, manage and communicate allergen information and display calories on menus.
The MenuCal tool allows food businesses to identify if there are allergens present in any of the food they serve and make this information known to their customers. MenuCal can also be used to calculate energy in the food that businesses serve. The tool enables food businesses to add ingredients for recipes and print off menus with allergen and energy information clearly displayed.
MenuCal aims to save food businesses time and money by helping you comply with legal requirements to manage and display allergen information. It could also increase your profitability by appealing to health-conscious customers by helping you to:
- make smarter choices about the food you serve
- tailor portion sizes to reduce the amount of energy value
- change ingredients to give a healthier option
Through the FSA's Calorie Wise scheme, support and advice is available to food businesses to help them put energy information on the menu.
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Starting and running a food business
Starting a food business - Bodega Bagels
Steven Orr, co-founder of Bodega Bagels, explains how they started their business.
Bodega Bagels is a bakery producing New York-style bagels and cream cheese spreads. The business began in the garage of founders Steven Orr and Kirsty Winter. Less than five months after opening, Bodega Bagels expanded to employ eight additional staff. At first, the business sold its products through an online order and pick-up service and now has a weekend pop-up at the Banana Block, a museum and events space, in east Belfast.
Steven tells us about the process of starting a food business, including registering, following food hygiene rules and where to find advice.
Getting started
"We decided to start Bodega Bagels during the lockdown. We realised how much better our homemade bagels were compared to supermarket versions and saw a gap in the market in Northern Ireland."
"We considered how to sell our bagels – we opted to sell in advance via our website for customers to collect at the weekend."
"East Belfast Enterprise helped us by recommending we access start-up support from our local council, and after their grounding in the area, we moved to the Kick Start programme that offered mentoring support. This assistance gave us the confidence to develop a business plan, which led to a grant to buy an industrial oven."
Registering our food business
"Registering our business wasn’t as complicated as we thought. I learned about the process by searching online. Baking bagels is relatively low-risk, with no hot food, no raw meat and very few allergens, making the process much easier. Talking to the Environmental Health Officers (EHO) from Belfast City Council showed me that it wasn't as scary as it seems – most of it is common sense."
"If you run a registered food business, you must have a plan based on the Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) principles. This plan considers and manages potential risks to food safety. I found helpful templates online and was able to create a system that was manageable but also detailed enough to cover all the legal requirements."
Food safety and hygiene
"For Bodega Bagels, food hygiene is mainly about having a clean cooking facility and environment. We use wipeable surfaces, hand cleaning facilities and protective clothing to reduce any chance of contamination. As we've grown to produce spreads and cold bagel fillings, we record our deliveries and storage and temperature-check our fridges."
"Understanding allergens and ensuring our customers are aware of these is a priority. We publish allergen information on our website and display it on site. All new staff are trained on the dangers of cross-contamination and are aware of any risk items we sell – they also know how to mitigate those risks."
"Online courses are a good source of guidance – the short Level 2 Food Hygiene certification covers most of what you need to know."
"The council Environmental Health Officers are the single best source of information. Our EHO is only a phone call or an email away, and is always on hand to offer advice and guidance. The Food Standards Agency are also really helpful and always open to giving advice. They want you to succeed - they don't want to trip you up."
Growing our business
"Bodega Bagels has gone from being based in our garage to having a weekend pitch at Banana Block and ten staff. Our growth has been rapid and we don't plan on slowing down. In time, we hope to do more than just weekends and expand into catering and wholesale."
"The best compliment we hear is an American customer telling us our bagels are on par with bagels in NYC and the best they've ever had outside of New York."
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Starting and running a food business
Running a food business from home – Lily Pink Bakery
Claire Magowan, founder of Lily Pink Bakery, discusses the challenges, rewards, and practicalities of running her food business from home.
Lily Pink Bakery is a home-based bakery in Belfast, specialising in creative buttercream cakes, cupcakes, and brownies. The business holds a 5-star Food Hygiene Rating and trades mainly online through direct deliveries, customer collections and postal orders.
Claire Magowan, founder of Lily Pink Bakery, discusses the challenges, rewards, and practicalities of running her food business from home.
Getting started
"I had always loved baking, having made cupcakes and cakes for fun for years. In 2012, I joined a Belfast City Council programme on turning your hobby into a business and went straight into self-employment. I never looked back!"
"Working out of my home was the only option when I started. I had no funding and didn't wish to begin my business in lots of debt."
"In the early days, I concentrated mainly on market trading with a permanent stall at St George's Market. This route allowed me to have a space where I could trade and meet my customers without the commitment of premises and the associated bills."
"Although I loved trading at the market, by 2018, wedding cakes were becoming my main focus, and then COVID-19 happened. Almost all my bookings were cancelled or rescheduled across 2020 and 2021."
Adapting the business model
"Working within the restrictions, I set up my e-commerce site on Shopify and began selling weekly cupcake boxes that I would bake at home and deliver across Belfast one day a week. This approach was a roaring success - it allowed my business to survive and thrive. I learned many new skills, including route planning for deliveries and operating an online store."
"From this, I also developed my postal boxes - these were a massive undertaking, researching packaging that would survive the postal system, what items had the best shelf life and the legalities of distance selling."
"Most of my sales now come directly from my website. I deliver wedding cakes across Northern Ireland, and for all other orders, my customers usually collect from my home."
Pros and cons of running a food business from home
"The cost is the biggest benefit. I don't have to worry about high rents and rates fees. At times, I have considered renting kitchen spaces or retail space in Belfast, but this is very expensive and truly limits the food culture of this city which has so much potential. The other benefit, of course, is avoiding a daily commute!"
"In terms of the challenges, maintaining a healthy work/life balance can be very difficult at times. If possible, designate a separate space within your home for work to help you avoid bad habits I have developed, like doing your admin in bed!"
"You must also ensure that your business doesn't disrupt the community around you. For example, with noise or customers parking when collecting their orders."
Food safety and hygiene
"Like any food business, I must register with the council. This process involves a home inspection and following the same procedures as any restaurant or cafe. You also must complete a food hygiene course."
"To manage daily food hygiene, I keep a log of clean-down times for my kitchen, including the equipment cleaned, the cleaning product used, and the time completed. Belfast City Council provides a binder with easy-to-follow guidelines for all required records and procedures."
"My home business is considered low-risk, so I don't find major food safety and hygiene challenges. Working with meat, or in allergen-friendly manufacturing, the rules are likely to be stricter."
"I state my allergens clearly on my website in several places, including my menu and FAQ page. On the Shopify store, I list the allergens in the description on each product page. For anything posted or pre-packaged, I have all ingredients listed and, where necessary, broken down into component ingredients."
"I tell my customers that I work in an open kitchen environment and can't guarantee items are allergen-free. I am very strict in protecting customers and my safety."
"I'm delighted to have a 5-star Food Hygiene Rating from the council. This rating shows my customers that I respect their safety and well-being by maintaining a clean, organised manufacturing environment."
"I achieved my rating by working with Belfast City Council and following all the advice they give when registering, including the food and allergen safety guidance they have on their website. In my experience, the council staff are helpful and will answer any questions to help you achieve the food hygiene levels required for your business."
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Starting and running a food business
Using strategic partnerships to innovate and grow - NearyNógs Stoneground Chocolate
Shane Neary, co-founder of NearyNógs Stoneground Chocolate, explains how they use strategic partnerships to innovate and grow their family business.
NearyNógs Stoneground Chocolate is Ireland's first bean-to-bar chocolate maker, based in County Down. Founded in 2011 by Shane and Dorothy Neary, the company ethically sources high-quality cocoa beans and produces over 60 craft chocolate products. It supplies wholesale, retail, online, and export markets, while also offering workshops, factory tours, and events that immerse customers in the craft of chocolate making.
In this case study, Shane describes how collaborations with retailers, distilleries, and other artisan producers have driven their success, leading to an expanded product range, unique customer experiences, and new business opportunities.
From a hobby to a craft chocolate business
"It started with a fundraiser. A family member was going to India for charity work, so we made chocolate to raise money. People loved it, and soon we were supplying craft markets, weddings, and events. Then life changed. Our youngest child became ill, and we needed flexibility. Regular jobs no longer suited us, so we became self-employed and turned our hobby into a business."
"From the start, customers asked for dairy-free and gluten-free options, so we decided to produce our chocolate entirely in-house. That's how our craft chocolate business was born."
Creating strategic alliances
"Partnerships have helped us grow in ways we couldn't alone. We work with small retailers, major brands, ethical farming communities, and suppliers worldwide. But being a rural business, we don't have the footfall of a city-based chocolatier. Collaborating locally helps us to bridge that gap and reach new customers through events and co-branded products."
"We've teamed up with nearby distilleries to create chocolate-spirit pairings, and we've run tasting experiences with local artisan producers. These partnerships increase sales, attract visitors, and introduce our products to new markets. They also allow us to experiment with new ingredients, techniques and product ideas, helping us stay ahead in a competitive industry."
"We've also worked with organisations like Tourism Ireland, Tourism Northern Ireland, Invest Northern Ireland, and local council groups to expand our reach and build our brand."
What we look for in a potential partner
"When choosing partners, we look for honesty, integrity, and shared values around ethical sourcing, sustainability, and craftsmanship. Transparency in the supply chain and fair pricing are essential. And a partnership must feel right - it helps to like the people you're working with."
"Locally, we focus on tourism and craft experiences, as well as food and drink producers whose products complement ours. A great example is our work with a local distillery to create a chocolate infused with high-quality craft spirits. Tourists loved it; it was something they couldn't find anywhere else. This partnership boosted sales and introduced us to a new audience."
"Working with larger retailers is a different challenge. Orders are bigger, but prices are lower, negotiations tougher, and terms stricter. Project management is more demanding too. Smaller collaborations give us flexibility and shared exposure, so we balance both to stay profitable and visible."
Managing partnerships: challenges and solutions
"Forming partnerships isn't always straightforward - pricing must be fair for both sides, and aligning schedules between busy businesses takes effort. However, with experience, we've developed a more streamlined approach. We refined our pricing models and learned to adjust availability to make partnerships smoother and more efficient over time."
"Balancing brand visibility also needs careful handling. When we create a product with a partner, both brands must receive recognition. In our chocolate infused with local spirits, for instance, our branding takes the lead, but we clearly acknowledge our collaborator. When a promotional event takes place at either partner's venue, one brand will naturally be more visible, but both businesses equally benefit from shared exposure and ticket revenue."
"Detailed planning is essential for collaborative product development. For new product launches, our core crafting process remains consistent, but partnerships require joint taste testing, collaborative packaging design, and reaching consensus on recipes, flavours, and pricing. This added development time is crucial for creating products that represent both brands and stand out in a competitive market."
How collaboration fuels our growth
"Partnerships influence every part of our business, especially product development. By using local ingredients and produce in our chocolate, we've created new flavours, recipes, and product lines that attract both locals and tourists."
"Co-branded events attract more customers and allow us to set higher ticket prices. Joint marketing expands our audience, and working with other brands strengthens our reputation. It shows we support local businesses, create unique experiences, and add value to our region's economy. It also makes us a more attractive partner for future collaborations."
"We measure the success of our collaborations by tracking customer feedback, analysing lessons learned, and cultivating new business contacts. Every partnership should help us grow - whether in assets, experience, networks, or market reach."
Future outlook on collaboration
"Collaboration will always be part of what we do at NearyNógs. It builds community, creates new experiences, and strengthens our business. Whether through product development, tourism, or customer engagement, partnerships will remain central to our growth."
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Food hygiene: ten top tips
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.
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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.
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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
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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