New food regulations came into effect on 1 January 2006 enacting a number of european community regulations.
Included in these new regulations is a requirement for all food business to have a food safety system and keep documents commensurate with their food operations as follows:
REGULATION (EC) No 852/2004 OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND OF THE COUNCIL of 29 April 2004 on the hygiene of foodstuffs CHAPTER II outlines duties placed upon food business operators which include:
General obligation
Food business operators shall ensure that all stages of production, processing and distribution of food under their control satisfy the relevant hygiene requirements laid down in this Regulation.
Article 3 (Regulation 852/2004)
Hazard analysis and critical control points
1. Food business operators shall put in place, implement and maintain a permanent procedure or procedures based on the HACCP principles.
2. The HACCP principles referred to in paragraph 1 consist of the following:
(a) Identifying any hazards that must be prevented, eliminated or reduced to acceptable levels;
(b) Identifying the critical control points at the step or steps at which control is essential to prevent or eliminate a hazard or to reduce it to acceptable levels;
(c) Establishing critical limits at critical control points which separate acceptability from unacceptability for the prevention, elimination or reduction of identified hazards;
(d) Establishing and implementing effective monitoring procedures at critical control points;
(e) Establishing corrective actions when monitoring indicates that a critical control point is not under control;
(f) Establishing procedures, which shall be carried out regularly, to verify that the measures outlined in subparagraphs (a) to (e) are working effectively; and
(g) Establishing documents and records commensurate with the nature and size of the food business to demonstrate the effective application of the measures outlined in subparagraphs (a) to (f).
When any modification is made in the product, process, or any step, food business operators shall review the procedure and make the necessary changes to it.
Article 5 (Regulation 852/2004)
The following options are available to enable small food business operators to comply with this new duty:
CATERING
RETAIL
This does not mean that you cannot use your own food safety system as long as it complies with the above HACCP principles.
If you already have a written food safety system and keep appropriate records you need do nothing until we next inspect. If you are unsure whether you comply please contact us for advice.
Safer Food Better Business
Information regarding the Safer Food Better Business schemes can be downloaded from:
www.food.gov.uk/foodindustry/hygiene/sfbb
If you would like a free copy of either of the Safer Food Better Business packs to complete you can order this by calling 0845 606 0667 or email Safer Food Better Business Order
Diary refills can also be ordered on the above telephone number.
To accompany the SFBB packs a DVD guide, available in 16 different languages, has been produced to help food businesses implement SFBB and train staff on SFBB. An online version of the DVD is currently being developed and will be available soon.
If you would like to order an SFBB pack or the DVD guide call Food Standards Agency Publications on 0845 606 0667 or email Safer Food Better Business Order
Sector Specific Safer Food Better Business Packs
In addition to the generic Safer Food Better Business for caterers and retailers, sector specific versions have been developed for:
Chinese Cuisine
Indian, Pakistani, Bangladesh and Sri Lankan Cuisine
If you would like a free copy of the sector specific Safer Food Better Business packs to complete you can order this by calling 0845 606 0667 or email Safer Food Better Business Order
New sector specific Safer Food Better Business Packs are being prepared for:
Catering for vulnerable groups, care homes, and child minders and nurseries
These will be available to order in early 2008.
