Your business must ensure food is safe to eat to prevent food poisoning and the spread of harmful bacteria and viruses. It is best to get food safety right from the outset, and the regulations, guidelines, and best practices will help you do this.
Special note: While it is unlikely that consumers will catch COVID-19 from food, businesses are required to adapt their operating procedures and stay up to date on all food hygiene requirements.
With the current pandemic, you may have diversified how you sell food, incorporating online sales, takeaway, and delivery. If you have moved to delivery, you must adapt your Food Safety Management System to ensure food remains safe to eat. You should also update your Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point procedures.
What Are The Current Guidelines?
The food safety guidelines have the intention of preventing food poisoning from E.coli, Salmonella, Listeria, Hepatitis E virus, and Campylobacter. The ethos follows the four pillars of food safety; cross-contamination, chilling, cooking, and cleaning.
Storing food. You must store food properly in containers, on shelves in cupboards (for dry ingredients such as rice, flour, and pasta), or in a fridge or freezer.
Transporting food. To prevent food from becoming contaminated with bacteria or dirt, it should be transported in packages. Chilled and frozen food must be moved in a way where they remain at the right temperature (using cool boxes or refrigerated vans). Cooked and raw food must be kept separate.
The law. As a food business operator, you have to ensure your food handlers have appropriate training and supervision in food safety. They do not need a certificate; training can be self-study, prior experience, or on-the-job.
In addition to maintaining personal hygiene standards, with appropriate clothing and handwashing, your business should:
- Not treat, add, or remove to food in a way that might make it harmful to eat
- Display your food hygiene rating
- Not mislead people about your food through advertising or labelling
- Ensure food is of the quality you state it is
- Retain documentation and information that shows where you got food from
- Withdraw unsafe food immediately and complete an incident report
Further clear and straightforward practices and procedures can be review in the Food Standards Agency’s Safer Food, Better Business information pack.
Bringing You Up To Standard
Lindstrom can help your business bring itself back up to standard through rental workwear designed with food safety in mind.
We can provide you with hygienic workwear that always meets the legal requirements and high standards that are set for businesses that process food. We follow EU Standard EN-14065, which outlines food health & safety through the entire process of production, transportation, and delivery. Our range is Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points compliant.
Our FoodInPro collection has been specially designed to meet the challenges of food safety. We have paid attention to comfort, ergonomy, materials, and pocket placement while keeping food hygiene at the forefront of design decisions. This exclusive collection includes everything your business might need, including jackets, aprons, coats, caps, and trousers.
If you need assistance in determining the most functional garments for your processes and tasks, we are ready to help.