All hosts have the responsibility to ensure that they are fully conversant with all relevant health & food safety legislation relating to the preparation of food for public consumption that affects their business.
Any host responsible for selling or processing food is legally bound by The Food Safety Act, 1990 and the Food Safety and Hygiene (England) Regulations 2013 to ensure that they carry out their operation safely and hygienically and permit good food hygiene practices, including protection against cross contamination between and during operations.
The minimum expected health & food safety compliance standards for Hosts include, but are not limited to, the following:
FOOD SAFETY AND ALLERGEN CONTROL
- Proof of food premises registration with the appropriate local authority.
- Temperature records for food delivery, fridges, freezers, cooking, cooling, reheating, hot holding, and cold display.
- Thermometers to check food core temperature, and minimum monthly verification records.
- Separate thermometers must be used for ready to eat, and non-ready to eat items and must be identified either by labelling or colour coding.
- Detailed cleaning records for all daily, weekly, and monthly cleaning records for all food handlers.
- Antibacterial hand soap, disposable paper towels and hand sanitisers at each handwash sink.
- Colour coded chopping boards maintained in good working order and state of repair.
- Back of house labelling arrangements and suitable labels to show use by dates and allergen information on all items stored in fridges, freezers, and dry stores.
- Blue gloves only, where gloves are to be used. Clear or white gloves are not acceptable for food handling and preparation activities.
- Segregated Raw Prep Areas, clearly labelled and either segregated by space or time.
- Allergen control and management procedure
- Fully documented allergen information for all items produced.
- Pest control procedure and management in their premises. Ideally, a reputable pest control contractor must be appointed, within routine visits in place, and any callouts answered within 48 hours.
HEALTH AND SAFETY
- A Health and Safety Management system for their catering operation.
- Risk Assessments and Safe Systems of Work for all work equipment and activities applicable to them.
- Records of regular portable appliance tests (PAT Testing)
- Details of any accidents, injuries and dangerous occurrences including RIDDOR reportable incidents, duly recorded.
- Risk assessments and maintenance of Control of Substances Hazardous to Health (COSHH) records for all substances e.g., cleaning materials held on site,
- Maintenance of an adequately equipped first aid box.
TRAINING
- All staff to have the following training as a minimum -
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- Food Hygiene Level 2
- Health and Safety Level 2
- Allergen Awareness training
- COSHH training
- Supervisory staff is expected to be trained to Level 3 or above.
- All training must be in date, i.e., completed within the last 3 years.
- Training for all staff regarding fire evacuation procedures.