Food Production, Quality and Registration

The law requires all food business operators to find out for themselves what they must do to ensure that their food is safe. They must carry out a systematic assessment of what things in their business could result in health or quality problems, and what control measures they need to put in place. When they have decided upon their safe procedures, they must then make sure that the staff know and understand what they must do to keep food safe. Checks need to be made to ensure that the correct procedures are always properly carried out.

The Food Standards Agency has developed a system especially for small caterers to make self regulation through HACCP as easy as possible. They have produced a manual and a diary so that such businesses will not have to do that work for themselves. This system has been named 'Safer Food - Better Business' and details can be obtained from the Food Standards Agency in fact allsorts of food safety topics can be found on the site.

Studies have shown that at least 6 hours of training is normally required for a food business operator to learn how to use the SFBB system. Southend Borough Council's Food Team has already assisted nearly 500 businesses to adopt SFBB through a Food Standards Agency grant.