Food Safety Management
General Requirement
Regulation (EC) No 852/2004 came into force on the 1st January
2006 and requires food business operators to put in place,
implement and maintain food safety management procedures based on
the principles of Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points
(HACCP). The principles of HACCP referred to in the legislation are
as follows:
- Identifying any hazards that must be prevented, eliminated or
reduced to acceptable levels.
- 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.
- Establishing critical limits at critical control points which
separate acceptability from unacceptability for the prevention,
elimination or reduction of identified hazards.
- Establishing and implementing effective monitoring procedures
at critical control points.
- Establishing corrective actions when monitoring indicates that
a critical control point is not under control.
- Establishing procedures, which shall be carried out regularly,
to verify that the measures outlined in subparagraphs a) to e) are
working effectively; and
- 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).
There are two main methods of complying with the above
legislation:
- The Food Business Operator can create a food safety management
system (as described above) himself or get a consultant to create a
suitable system for him/her to implement at their business.
- OR
- The Food Standards Agency has produced a suitable system for
small and medium sized businesses to use known as "Safer Food
Better Business". Full use of the pack will be accepted by
Environmental Health Officers as satisfying the legal requirement
given above.
Food Safety Management System Training
Food business operators and any other persons responsible for
the maintenance and development of the business' "Food Safety
Management System" are required to "have received adequate training
in the application of the "HACCP principles"".
If "Safer Food Better Business" is used it is considered
sufficient for the food business operator and management to have
read through the pack and to understand its content and how to use
it.
If Safer Food Better Business is not used some further training
is likely to be needed. For example, the operator of the business,
management, etc. could attend a formal training course such as the
CIEH "HACCP in Practice" certificate or similar.
Safer Food Better Business
This Authority advocates the use of the Safer Food Better
Business ("SFBB") pack in small and medium sized businesses (it is
not suitable for larger businesses) because it
is free and provides a simple, effective
method for satisfying the legal requirement given above.
"SFBB" sets out how the hazards present in your food business
will be controlled. It is based on the 4 C's (cross-contamination,
cleaning, chilling and cooking).
The aim of the packs
The packs are designed for use by small catering businesses
(restaurants, takeaways, pubs and cafes (caterers) and small
convenience stores, confectioners, tobacconists and newsagents,
health food shops and delicatessens (retailers) which sell food
which needs to be kept cold to keep it safe and aims to ensure that
all food businesses produce safe food. It suggests how to achieve
these aims and assists Managers/Owners in taking more
responsibility and in complying with the law.
Please note the retail SFBB pack is not considered suitable for
specialist retailers including butchers, fishmongers and bakers.
These types of businesses should contact Rochford District
Council's Commercial Regulation Team for advice on documentation
requirements for their business.
What is in the packs?
There are 2 parts: Safe methods and the diary.
Safe Methods
Safe methods are split into 5 sections; Cross contamination,
Cleaning, Chilling, Cooking and Management. Each section focuses
on:
- the important food safety points (the checks you make and the
controls you put in place)
- why they are carried out (explains the hazard present and the
likelihood that it will occur)
- what to do when things go wrong (your corrective action)
- how to stop this happening again (your preventative
action)
The Diary
The Diary allows for the Manager/Owner to record opening and
closing checks of the business and enable them to record anything
unusual that has happened during the day, things that may have gone
wrong and the action taken to remedy it.
The diary also has:
- Staff lists
- Training records
- Supplier lists
- A cleaning schedule
How long will it take to complete?
It is expected that the initial set up time will take
approximately 3 hours. Once done it should take less that one
minute a day to complete the diary.
How much will it cost?
The pack is free!
A copy of the SFBB pack, together with further information on
how to use it, can be obtained from this Authority. Alternatively,
it's free to download from the Food Standards
Agency website, please see related links below.
Alternatively you can order a pack free from EC
Logistics on 0845 6060667, fax 0208 867 3225 or email foodstandards@ecologistics.co.uk
Please ensure that you obtain the correct version of the pack
for your business either "catering" or "retail".
If you require any help or further information then please do
not hesitate to contact us using the link to your right.