GUIDANCE FOR BUSINESS ON REGULATIONS

A guide to Food Hazards and Your Business
Identifying and controlling potential food hazards

1995 food safety

Anyone who sells or processes food and is covered by the Food Safety (General Food Hygiene) Regulations 1995 is legally bound to make sure they carry out their operations safely and hygienically. (For information about obtaining a guide to the Regulations See Further Information.) Unlike previous controls, the Regulations place increased emphasis on controlling risks and on the control of practices and procedures. They say that you must:

• IDENTIFY all steps in your activities which are CRITICAL TO FOOD SAFETY;
• Ensure ADEQUATE SAFETY CONTROLS are in place, maintained and reviewed.

Controls do not have to be complex but they must be effective. There are internationally recognised formal packages that can be used by food businesses to help ensure that hazards are identified and controls are in place. Such systems, which focus on prevention and the control of practices and procedures, have a proven record of providing sound consumer protection, However, they are not compulsory and many businesses do not require this level of control.

This guidance, which covers businesses throughout Great Britain, gives a short introduction to what this is likely to mean for you. But the guidance is advisory - it is up to each individual food business to check how the Regulations apply to them in practice.

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