Food Safety Update

Safer Food Better Business

As from the 1^st January 2006, new EU regulations require all food businesses to have a fully documented food safety management system. Food manufacturers and larger food producers, retailers and caterers already have such systems in place. Small food businesses have until now only been required to put in place what is known as hazard analysis, (a risk assessment of their food handling activities). The new legislation means that even for small businesses this now has to be a documented system.

The Food Standards Agency has recognised that this would be a major task for the small business operator, and have produced a food safety management system pack to meet the new requirements for small food businesses.

The system, known as Safer Food, Better Business (SFBB) is a practical, easy to use and jargon free system that requires the minimum of record-keeping. The FSA worked with 50 caterers, academics, local authorities and management specialists to create SFBB.

We are supporting the use of the pack in local small food businesses by:

• In the autumn of 2005 we contacted 670 local caterers, advising them of the new requirements and offering support and advice including SFBB workshops
• holding free SFBB workshops throughout January, February and March at different times and at different  locations
• assigning personal coaches to each business to help with SFBB implementation
• planning follow up visits 6 months after the system has been put into action to ensure it is working effectively
• seeking support for those whose first language is not English
• providing a dedicated e-mail address for businesses to be able to contact us about SFBB - email: sfbb@wychavon.gov.uk

The use of SFBB is not compulsory. Businesses can devise their own system or buy into a commercial system as long as they comply with the new legislation. SFBB meets all these requirements and is available free of charge to businesses.

For more details on these changes please contact us on 01386 565015 or via the SFBB email address.

What you can expect from us

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For more information contact:

Commercial Services Section, Environmental Services,
Wychavon District Council, Civic Centre, Queen Elizabeth Drive, Pershore, Worcs, WR10 1PT

Telephone: 01386 565015 - between 9am-5pm, Monday-Friday
Fax: 01386 561826
Email: environmental.health@wychavon.gov.uk