Frequently asked questions
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Good practices are required to ensure that food is fit for consumption. This involves good personal hygiene, good food storage, preparation and thorough cleaning of food preparation areas.
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These ratings are given by the Food Standard Agency. They can be found online or at the premises of the building. This rating indicates whether this business is keeping to the standards of the Food Hygiene Law.
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This document should be held by businesses to show their commitment to hygienic food preparation, storage and selling. It will detail how they will use a HACCP (Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points) system and what they will do to adhere to these practices.
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The 4 major hazards are:
- Microbial (bacterial) hazards
- Physical hazards
- Allergenic hazards
- Chemical hazards
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These certificates are not a legal requirement, however, it is considered best practice to demonstrate that employees have up-to-date knowledge and training. Training should be done regularly and according to risk assessments, best industry practice is to renew the certificate every 3 years.
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By law, food business operators must ensure that food handlers receive the appropriate supervision and training in food hygiene, which is in-line with the area they work in and will enable them to handle food in the safest way. In the UK, food handlers don’t have to hold a food hygiene certificate to prepare or sell food. – food.gov.uk iHasco offer: Food Safety & Hygiene Level 1 Level 2 Level 3 training as well as a Food Allergy Awareness course
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Environmental Health Officers and Trading Standards Officers carry out these inspections. They do not have to announce themselves before they arrive at your business and they look out for these things:<
- How the businesses document food safety and how they manage it
- The condition of the businesses premises
- How hygienically the food is handled
Documents & other resources
Food Hygiene White Paper
An overview of Food Safety to ensure that organisations understand their legal responsibilities and best practices.
Top mistakes you could be making in your EHO inspections
Excellent food safety and hygiene keeps your customers safe, demonstrates compliance with the law, and boosts your business’ reputation. It’s a no-brainer; it should be a priority. However, there’s a few common mistakes that crop up when it comes to Environmental Health inspections – so we’ve put a few together in this guide with some tips on avoiding them.
Preparing for an EHO inspection checklist
Hygiene is a vitally important part of running a successful food business, and customers are paying more attention than ever to food safety ratings. So, to help you achieve full marks when Environmental Health come knocking, here’s a comprehensive checklist to help you get that all-important top rating.
