Food Hygiene Regulations: HACCP Principles

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Businesses must ensure that food is produced and handled safely and hygienically. Premises must be suitably equipped, staff must be properly trained and fit for work and all processes must be appropriately managed. Businesses must be able to demonstrate to local authority inspectors that proper hygiene procedures are in place. In order to do this they must keep proper, up to date records of these procedures.
Following the introduction of the Food Hygiene Regulations, all food businesses must have in place food safety procedures and produce a written Food Safety Plan based on HACCP principles. HACCP is an internationally recognised system of food safety management identifying the critical points in processes where food safety hazards could arise …show more content…

The Food Safety Plan must be kept in place permanently and must be reviewed if the business changes what it produces or how it works.
General hygiene and safety obligations include the requirement that food waste and other rubbish must be removed from rooms where food is present and disposed of in a hygienic and environmentally friendly way. There are restrictions on putting food waste into the public sewer. Go to www.netregs.gov.uk/netregs/63348.aspx for further information. Businesses must also have an adequate supply of potable (drinking quality) water, to be used whenever necessary to avoid contamination.

Staff working in a food-handling area must maintain a high level of personal cleanliness and wear suitable clothing. Staff suffering from illnesses such as vomiting or diarrhoea should not handle food until at least 48 hours after they have shown no …show more content…

• Any required instructions for use.

Food labelling regulations are likely to change following an EU-wide review of food and nutrition labelling and a European Commission proposal for a new Food Information Regulation. For more details go to www.food.gov.uk/foodlabelling/ull/labellingproposals.
In Scotland, Premises and Personal Licences are granted by local authority licensing boards, which can set specific opening hours and other conditions. The Licensing (Scotland) Act bans the sale of alcohol as a loss-leader. Premises must have a Premises Manager specified in the Premises Licence. For details go to www.scotland.gov.uk/Resource/Doc/.
Who regulates businesses in this area?
The Food Standards Agency oversees the enforcement of food regulations, via local authority Environmental Health Departments and Trading Standards Offices.
In England and Wales, Environmental Health Officers enforce food quality, hygiene and safety regulations and Trading Standards Officers enforce food labelling, ingredients, and weights and measures regulations. In Scotland and Northern Ireland, Environmental Health Officers enforce all food