The government have published 8 information packs tailored to:
- Caterers
- Retailers
- Indian cuisine
- Chinese cuisine (in English)
- Chinese cuisine (in Cantonese)
- Childminders
- Residential care homes
- Resources for colleges
Each pack contains forms (known as 'safe methods') for you to work through.
You must complete all of the forms relevant to your business to detail each step of the food process to ensure hygeine and safety.
You should then share this pack with all of your staff, so they know what they must do to follow the plan for producing food safely.
Diary sheets are available to note down any daily changes to protocol.
The pack and completed diary sheets are evidence that the premises has a food safety management system in place and the completed diary sheets show the business is monitoring the controls they have identified.
If your system and controls are simple, you will not be required to use Safer Food, Better Business.
We advise home caterers and bakers to consistently observe simple steps, which will help you ensure that you make safe food; for example:
- purchase quality ingredients from reputable suppliers
- check ingredients for common allergens, if found, handle these with extra care to prevent cross contamination and label them correctly
- purchase small quantities of ingredients, so there is not a lot to store
- keep ingredients separate from the family's food
- purchase a suitable food grade thermometer, check the fridge temperature and record the temperature checks in a diary
- remove miscellaneous small items from the kitchen, to prevent foreign body contamination
- deep clean and sanitise the kitchen before cooking food for the business
- when cooking, keep family members and pets out of the kitchen
- ensure you put food into a suitable food grade container
- source suitable packaging for the food to be delivered to the customer in, eg cardboard cake boxes and film fronted bags.