The Law and Food Safety

The Law and Food Safety

In the UK The Law is enforced by the Environmental Health Department at Local Councils and says it is:

• Illegal to knowingly contaminate food.

• Illegal to sell food known to be contaminated.

• Individual staff can be prosecuted.

• Staff must be trained and/or instructed to be able to do their job correctly.

The most recent relevant law in England is the Food Hygiene (England) Regulations 2006

Food Safety and Food Hygiene is all about the prevention of CONTAMINATION of food. Contamination means food having something in it that shouldn’t be there.

Contamination can be:

• Micro-biological.

• Physical.

• Chemical.

• Allergenic.

All of these should be avoided. Every individual working in a shop has a responsibility for making sure food in not contaminated with any of these

Always remember you can be prosecuted if you are found to be responsible for making someone ill or causing him or her harm.

Your Responsibilities

You have moral and legal responsibility not to give anyone food poisoning, or any other problems from the food they buy from you. To make sure your customers are safe from anything you do you should always:

• Think hygiene in everything you do at work.

• Follow company rules and procedures.

• Report problems you come across.

• Do not knowingly contaminate food.

You also have a legal responsibility under the Food Information (Amendment) (England) Regulations 2019 (Natasha's Law) to ensure that all pre-packed food for direct sale (PPDS) is clearly labeled with a full list of ingredients and allergens. This law was introduced to protect customers with food allergies by giving them the information they need to make safe choices. While we don't sell any PPDS items, we maintain a comprehensive allergen resource for customers. We encourage customers to ask about allergens if they have any concerns, and we are committed to providing clear information to help them make safe decisions.

Managers and Shop owners are ultimately responsible for quality control and food safety.

Report food safety or quality issues to them, for example:

• Problems with incoming goods, equipment or premises.

• Problems with temperatures of fridges and freezers.

• Problems with food that is out of date, or shows signs of being “off”.

• Illness, infections, cuts you may have.

• Sightings or signs of pests.

• Anything else you are not sure about.