Guidance for running your food business

This information is for you if you're starting a new food business or taking over an existing business. The Food Standards Agency website includes useful guidance.

By law, you must register your food business. You may also need to get a licence.

Training

You and your staff do not need a formal qualification by law, but you must make sure that:

anyone who handles food is supervised
staff receive the right food hygiene training for their work

The Chartered Institute of Environmental Health (CIEH) runs food hygiene training courses. The Foundation Certificate in Food Safety – Level 2 (formerly the Basic/Foundation Certificate) is the relevant course for businesses.

Food safety management procedures

You must put food safety management procedures in place and keep up-to-date records. The Food Standards Agency (FSA) website has useful resources on procedures.

Safer food, better business (SFBB) helps small food businesses:

manage food safety management procedures
follow food hygiene regulations

SFBB provides information packs for:

MyHACCP is a free online tool for small food manufacturing businesses. It will help you identify food safety hazards and controls. The system uses Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) principles. This is required by EU food hygiene rules.

Cross contamination/E.coli guidance

If you handle both raw and cooked/ready-to-eat food you need to consider procedures to control harmful bacteria.

Traceability

You must keep written records of all the suppliers that provide you with food or any food ingredients. The records should include:

the name and address of the supplier
the type and quantity of products
the dates when you take delivery

If you supply food to another business, you also need to keep records containing the same details.

Labelling and Trading Standards

Trading Standards can give important advice on labelling food and other issues.

Waste

All businesses must have proper arrangements for the collection of their trade refuse. Only a legally authorised person can carry out a collection.

We offer a refuse and recycling collection to business premises within the borough or you can use a private contractor.