Safer food, better business

Legislation

The law requires food businesses to put into place food safety management procedures based on Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point (HACCP) principles. This affects all food businesses and it's usually expected that this is written down and you keep records to support your compliance.

Food businesses affected include:

caterers
primary producers (such as farmers)
manufacturers
distributors
retailers

How the legislation affects you will depend on the size and type of your business.

Recommended advice from the Food Standards Agency

The Food Standards Agency (FSA) has Safer Food, Better Business (SFBB) packs to support food businesses. Download the safer food better business pack free of charge for your business from the FSA Safer Food, Better Business webpage.

There are several different packs available for specific settings, plus packs written in other languages. Please ensure you access the pack most relevant to your business. If you're unsure which pack to access, contact the Food Safety Team.

The new regulations added documentation and verification to the existing requirements. The law does not require complex HACCP to be applied in food businesses. However, businesses need to develop food safety management systems based on HACCP principles with documentation and record keeping being proportionate to the nature and size of the business.

The SFBB packs are designed to help businesses meet the requirements of the legislation.

Safer Food, Better Business diary refills

You can download the Food Standards Agency's diary refill pages here. You may need to print multiple copies to ensure you have several months worth.

Your food hygiene inspection

During a food hygiene inspection, our officers will ask to see your written food safety management system (safer food better business pack). Completing the pack in full and ensuring that it accurately represents the procedures you have in place to sell and produce safe food may help you obtain a better food hygiene rating.

Page last updated: 26 May 2020

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