Guest Blogger: Natalie Stanton MCIEH CEnvH
In this blog, we will explore 5 key things that holiday let owners should consider when it comes to food safety.
I’m Chartered Environmental Health Officer, Natalie Stanton and I’m here to help you get confident with food safety in your business.
Perhaps you own a holiday let and you’re wondering about providing a welcome hamper to your guests. You may have read various things online about what you need, but some of this may relate more to B&B’s that are providing full meals to guests, but you’re just wanting to provide a hamper, a cake or a bottle of wine. Perhaps you’ve seen conflicting information and remain unsure. Maybe you’re wondering whether you need to register as a food business with your local authority or whether you need a food hygiene certificate. Let’s clear things up.
Do I need to register with my local authority?
The simple answer is- yes. The requirement to register as a food business applies to all types of businesses who sell food and drink, even if you are only storing it and not preparing it. The good news is, registration is free and cannot be refused. The easiest way to register is online.
Based on what you are doing, your local authority may determine that you are low-risk and do not need a food hygiene inspection. This is something you can discuss with the officer who will likely contact you once you are registered- although bear in mind, it may take a couple of years for them to make contact. As long as you’ve registered, you’ve done your bit.
Do I need a food hygiene certificate?
The law does not state that you must have a food hygiene certificate. But sometimes, this is the easiest way to demonstrate compliance. If you are handling or preparing open foods (i.e. making cream teas, cakes, biscuits etc.) undergoing food hygiene training to at least Level 2 is advisable. If you are handling prepacked goods, a food hygiene certificate may not be necessary. Bear in mind that most Level 2 Food Hygiene courses take less than 2 hours to complete and cost less than £40, so it may be worth just doing the course. It’s recommended to refresh every 3 years, so it’s not going to be too burdensome.
How should I store provisions such as milk, butter, eggs and other fresh produce?
Keep chilled foods such as milk, butter and eggs refrigerated below 8°C (ideally between 1°C and 5°C). This will stop harmful bacteria growing to levels high enough to cause food borne illnesses.
It may sound obvious, but if you are providing fresh produce, make sure it is within its Use By date. It’s actually an offence in food law to provide food past the Use By date as this can cause food poisoning.
What about food allergies?
By law, there are 14 allergens that you must declare to customers if they are in the food or drink you provide. Providing this information and ensuring it is accurate is important so that your customers can make an informed choice about what is safe for them to eat. If you are preparing any items yourself (i.e. making cakes or scones), you must handle and manage allergens effectively during food preparation. You can find more information on managing allergens on the Food Standards Agency website.
If you are providing prepacked items, providing you buy these from a reputable supplier, you will find any allergens listed in bold in the ingredients list.
If you are removing prepacked items from their original packaging or making items yourself, you will need to communicate allergen information to your guests. This can be done verbally or in writing. You may choose to use an allergen matrix for this. This could then be supplied in your welcome book. You can download an allergen matrix for free from the Food Standards Agency website here.
What’s a Food Safety Management System and do I need one?
Food safety legislation requires food businesses to put in place a food safety management system based on the principles of Hazard Analysis Critical Control Points (HACCP).
The Food Standards Agency has developed a simple toolkit to help small food businesses. It’s called Safer Food Better Business (SFBB).
If you are making food items yourself for guests then you will need a Food Safety Management System. I recommend you use the SFBB Caterers pack. If you are just supplying prepackaged items and/ or splitting them, I recommend you use the SFBB Retailers pack. Whichever one you use, go through and complete the parts that are relevant to what you do in your business. If you want a step-by-step guide on how to complete the SFBB pack, check out this video.
If you are just providing tea bags and coffee to guests, it’s unlikely that you will need a Food Safety Management System, but I recommend checking with your local authority.