Food Hygiene
To say this is a subject which is taken more seriously than it used to be is something of an understatement. Even people with no particular interest in food will be only too familiar with BSE (‘mad cow disease’), E Coli, salmonella and listeria. The last few years have been traumatic for the food and catering industries.
One of the consequences has been that rules and regulations on food hygiene are now enforced more strictly than in the past. This became particularly apparent in the late Nineties. Sandwich-coffee bars and other food outlets suddenly started receiving more visits from environmental health officers on a mission. It was clear that they were under orders to be far more proactive in getting people to observe the rules. This remains the position. Anyone wanting to open any kind of food outlet must realise that food hygiene is a matter of prime importance.
Want some more good news? The people who police the laws, the environmental health officers (EHOs) generally arrive in your premises unannounced and will want to ask lots of questions and look at all aspects of your operation. This can be quite traumatic for younger or newer members of staff who have to deal with this if you’re not there. They might have forgotten the correct temperature for storing cooked meats and feel quite flustered. Even the experts will tell you that the law on food hygiene is complex and ever changing, but ignorance of the law will be no excuse in the event that you are found to be doing something wrong!
There is some good news as well.
- A great deal of what is contained in the various laws, rules and regulations boils down to common sense.
- Environmental health officers are reasonable people. Whilst they do have the power to take enforcement action and even close shops down in extreme cases, their aim is to be constructive in helping you to run your particular business successfully whilst complying with the relevant laws.
- EHOs must comply with statutory codes and guidelines when it comes to enforcing the law. They are not entitled to push people around and if they do you will have recourse against them.
- EHOs assess the likely risk associated with particular food outlets. So long as you are seen to be making reasonable efforts to follow the advice and directions of your local EHO you will find that you will be regarded as low risk – you will receive fewer visits, leaving officers more time to concentrate on the problem places.
Whilst there are numerous laws on the subject of food hygiene, the main aim of all of them is the rather noble one of protecting human health. Of great relevance to sandwich-coffee bars are the Food Safety (General Food Hygiene) Regulations 1995 and the Food Safety (Temperature Control) Regulations 1995. These apply to England and Wales and Scotland. There are equivalent regulations for Northern Ireland.
There is one particular publication which deals with the subject of compliance with these regulations. It is called ‘Industry Guide To Good Hygiene Practice: Catering Guide’. The guide is a government inspired document painstakingly prepared by leading experts in the field. It is published by Chadwick House Group Ltd. It currently costs £3.60.
Whatever other publications you consider buying I recommend that you get hold of a copy of this guide well before you sell your first sandwich. If you don’t have any catering training it will open your eyes to the various issues you will have to address when setting up and operating your business. It also gives details of other publications which deal in greater detail with specific subjects.
What’s more, it is particularly useful and relevant because enforcement officers must give due consideration to it when assessing compliance in particular cases. You will, so to speak, be singing from the same hymn sheet.