Safer Food, Better Business is a pack produced by the Food Standards Agency to help small catering businesses comply with the new food hygiene regulations that came into force on January 1 2006.
The new rules mean that food businesses must have written procedures in place to manage food safety.
The Council’s Environmental Health team is promoting the pack during routine visits to businesses.
All the councils in the Tees Valley have joined together to provide workshops, training and consultancy for businesses concerned about the new regulations. This training should help around 200 businesses in Darlington.
For more details about this training contact Customer Services (01325) 388799.
Why You Need Safer Food Better Business
Research showed that the majority of the UK's food premises were small, independent catering businesses that had found traditional health and safety regulations difficult to understand because of their scientific approach and jargon.
Safer Food Better Business can be individually tailored by each business to meet its needs and makes issues such as record keeping much simplier.
It uses fact sheets to explain potential health risks and how they can be avoided and a diary so the business can ensure it has carried out essential checks at the right time and record if something goes wrong.
The Food Standards agency is working on fact sheets for retailers of Thai, Indian and Chinese cuisines, kebabs and sandwiches which can be used with the wider pack.
More information:
The Food Standards Agency website contains information about Safer Food Better Business and includes a downloadable version of the pack.
Some complex food businesses will find Safer Food Better Business does not meet their needs. For more information and advice, contact the Food Standards Agency direct on 0845 606667.