The Surgery - Get Ready for new Hygiene Regulations

Dear Surgery: How will the Food Standards Agency's proposed food hygiene laws affect pubs serving food?

The Surgery says: The controversial new regulations apply to all pubs - whether serving hot or cold food - and indeed those only serving beverages, which are also classed as food under the law.

Food businesses will be required to develop, implement and maintain food safety management procedures based on HACCP (Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points) principles. The type of procedures needed will depend on the size and type of your pub business. Of course there are already requirements to produce food that is safe to eat but the new regulations say that catering businesses must be able to show what they do to make food safely, and have this written down.

Good businesses will already be complying with the new regulations and will have simple procedures in place to ensure safe food is produced, such as a cleaning schedule and training records. Licensees will need to ensure that their premises are registered with the relevant competent authority (which for licensed premises will be the local authority Environmental Health Department). The licensee, or the person(s) responsible for the day-to-day running of the food business, must also have food safety management procedures based on HACCP principles. This will include ensuring that all staff involved have adequate training in the application of HACCP principles, including the necessary record keeping and documentation. All food handlers will need to receive some form of training or instruction in food hygiene to enable them to handle food safely. The licensee will need to decide on the appropriate level of training or instruction for individual staff.

Those responsible for the HACCP-based procedures in the business must have enough relevant knowledge and understanding to ensure the procedures are operated effectively. Guidance will be available in a specific Catering Good Practice Hygiene Guide developed by the industry.

The amount of training, as well as the cost per person, will depend on the type and extent of training required. The training providers for any formal training courses will determine the level of fees charged for a particular course.

Environmental health departments may be able to provide more details of courses available locally, including cost.

The Food Standards Agency (FSA) has produced packs available to small catering businesses throughout the UK via local authorities. In England the pack's called "Safer food, better business", in Scotland "Cooksafe" and in Northern Ireland, "Safe Catering". In Wales several local authorities have developed guidance packs and businesses should contact their own local authority for further information.

If a licensee would like to order a hard copy of "Safer food, better business" they can call 0845 606 0667 or email foodstandards@ecgroup.uk.com

Catering businesses do not have to use any particular pack or model, but licensees must make sure they have a food safety management system that is suitable for their business. They should liaise with an enforcement officer from their local environmental health department in developing a suitable system.

A special grant scheme has been introduced for local authorities to bid for additional funding to assist with coaching businesses in their area. The FSA has produced guidance on the new food hygiene laws which is available from its website. The FSA will also be reviewing its published guidance leaflets on food legislation for caterers to take account of the changes in legislation.

Further guidance on the new requirements may also be available from recognised trade associations or can be obtained from the FSA's "Safer food, better business" website at: www.food.gov.uk/foodindustry/hygiene/sfbb